Most parents soon learn that their children imitate what they do more often than they listen to what they say. Who hasn’t had an embarrassing moment with their child when an inappropriate word or behavior was mimicked? Though we’d like to believe our children listen to what we say in ...
Read More »“That’s Just Me,” An Excuse for Bad Behavior?
Have you ever told someone, “That’s just me,”? That comment usually follows someone’s criticism of our character or a habit. It’s a defensive punch, with an implied offensive follow up: “You’re being judgmental and unfair.” Is this a valid excuse for bad behavior? Recently, I helped a friend administer the ...
Read More »A Heap of Ruins
The house looked forgotten after 30 years sitting empty; a heap of ruins against the afternoon sky. Screens loosed from the front porch windows waved to us in the breeze, and man-sized holes caved in parts of the roof. Junk rested tiredly against the sides of the house. The beehive ...
Read More »Is Pain Really a Problem?
C. S. Lewis wrote a book called, The Problem of Pain. Pain is a great problem but it also is a great time of learning. This problem isn’t referring to what is wrong with pain, but the depth of pain. A good life, or the abundant life, does not mean a pain free ...
Read More »Not the Farmer’s Fault
James was my great-grandfather. A proud Irishman, he left his coastal birthplace and journeyed to America in the late 19th century. He was a farmer by trade, working rented land in his new country while he went through the process of becoming an American citizen. After gaining the coveted citizenship, ...
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