That Christmas should be a time of joy and peace is a given. That it’s often instead a time of stress and disagreement is also a given. No matter how much we try...
It was Harry Sparks who first told me the love between a father and mother was like a misshaped tree, and therefore different and better than all other love. Boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and...
My daughter Shelby turns 17 this month. We have been through some hard times with her over the last few years. Shelby has read this and is fine with me telling you about...
I am still getting used to the fact that my two daughters are now full-fledged teenagers.
Part two in a series. Click here to read part one. ...
My five-year-old, Rowan, and I had enjoyed a full day together: a morning at the zoo, followed by a picnic in the park and a stop at Target, where I'd picked up two...
At five, my son is quickly learning the ways of the world when it comes to dealing with others. It’s a necessary skill. Maybe the most necessary. ...
Almost every parent can tell stories about the things they have learned from their children. Sure, kids are messy and loud and try our patience. But children also clearly have the gift of innocent...
Jennifer Dukes Lee has written a piece about her daughter helping her to see the world in new ways. Having three children, I would say that is one of the greatest joys children...
My oldest daughter turned 20 this week. If parenting were military service, I could retire with full benefits right now. But as you know, there isn't retirement from parenting. Your role gets...
There is an old song we used to sing in church - "Count Your Blessings." I used to think it was a bit sugary and sweet. In real life, telling someone to count...
Frankie kept talking but still refused to look at me, making his words seem more a soliloquy—a prayer, even—than a conversation. ...
Last week Rowan went for his pre-kindergarten check-up at the pediatrician. After he undressed and snapped himself into the soft, tiger-paw-print gown and been weighed and measured, the nurse...
Jennifer at Getting Down With Jesus welcomes the tough questions that arise when she and her seven-year-old daughter turn the pages of their Bibles. ...
My son turned six last week. That’s him beside me and us beside the creek that runs by our house. The nearly identical clothing isn’t intentional, it just sort of happened. If you...
Simplicity is not a new concept. Henry David Thoreau dreamed of keeping his accounts on his thumbnail. For centuries people have known that simple solutions are often the best solutions. What about...
I’ve never been a math guy. Numbers scare me in the same way zombies do; both seem so foreign and lack even...
Lying across the “big bed," an open window invites a breeze to tickle my spine. Stretching out like this feels good for...
Two Sundays ago, I took Communion with my almost-six-year-old son. It was his first experience with the bread and the cup. And it’s something I’ll never forget. ...
Blundering, bungling, fumbling... ...
