Why do I do this to myself? I could have said no. Why didn’t I say no? They’re going to eat me alive!
My introverted self is verbally attacking the ambitious dynamo part of my personality. You see, go-getter me signed up for something that is now making me a little sick to my stomach.
I often feel like I am two ... Read More
We were wrong. As children we stuck our tongues out at the playground bully and hollered with a fake bravado, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” We were wrong.
Wikipedia tells me this childhood rhyme has been around since 1862. For 150 years we have been telling ourselves that words don’t matter. But they ... Read MoreThere are certain conversations I’m sure God never intended us to have with each other. Like in high school, when my poor dad seemed to pale a little every time I asked him for money for bras or tampons. That’s just not a comfortable conversation.
Single dads are raising daughters, and single moms are stepping up to coach their sons’ baseball ... Read More
Red and blue lights whirled in my rearview mirror. Uh oh. Someone was in big trouble. I turned the corner and drove another block before the police car came up behind me. I pulled over to allow the officer room to pass. After all, I am a law-abiding citizen.
Imagine my surprise when the officer pulled over right behind me.
Imagine ... Read More
I was trying to fly home from New York earlier this month. I say “trying” because it was evident that it was going to take some effort.
A big storm had swept through the day before and grounded most of the planes flying out of JFK airport. So there I was at Gate C4, just me, my 12-year-old daughter and a ... Read MoreWhen the world is closing in on you, and panic and uncertainty threaten to swallow you whole, kindness takes on a new level of importance. An otherwise small gesture of love becomes magnified and gives us the strength to put one foot in front of the other.
Zach Wilson sent me this letter from a friend who found kindness at the ... Read More
The bad thing about striving to live a life of kindness is that you realize when you fail. And you fail every day. Or maybe I should say, I fail every day.
The minute I keep the conversation trivial to avoid entering someone’s pain, the minute I cut the conversation short with an impatient answer, the minute I lower my eyes ... Read More
I remember having two birthday parties as a kid. My family lived on a little farmette with horses, and my dad had a friend who was a clown (doesn’t everyone’s dad have a friend who is a clown?), so when I turned 6 years old, every kid in town came to my house to celebrate. There were yard games and ... Read More
One day, a professor presented his pupils with a pop quiz. As the students filed into the classroom, they saw a piece of paper on each desk, face down.
When everyone was seated, the professor told them to turn over the papers. To everyone’s surprise, there were no questions, just a black dot in the center of the sheet. The professor, ... Read More
About six years ago, I met a woman who changed my life. Her name is Cris Linnares and just for the record, she happens to be married to the man who publishes this column. I didn’t know that when I met her. I just knew she had an infectious personality and a heart for God and I needed to be ... Read More
