“Conservatives have nothing to say to the kid whose dad has split, whose mom has had three other kids with different dads; ‘go live in a nuclear family’ is really not relevant advice. If only a minority of households are traditional nuclear families, that means the majority are something else: single parents, never-married parents, blended families, grandparent-headed families, serial partnerships, … Read More
Learning from Eowyn
“Each of us is born with a box of matches inside us but we can’t strike them all by ourselves.” Laura Esquivel “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” Ferdinand Foch Much that I’ve struggled to articulate and steal back about God’s view of women and raising daughters is captured in an intriguing scene involving … Read More
The Power of Introverts
I’m an introvert and maybe you are too. If not, I’m quite sure you care about some, as that’s what one-third of us are. The quotes below are from Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. It’s a superb book that has not only helped me better understand some of my weaknesses … Read More
The Father Wound: Defined & Illustrated
It has been said that each one of us comes into the world with a hole in our heart the shape of our dad. And when this hole is not filled, the void is often referred to as “the father wound.” Here’s how I defined it on a project I did for the Bureau of Justice Assistance when I was … Read More
Gardening in Lent
By Timothy Austen There are good Christmas songs and there are bad ones. Stay with me, folks. I know it’ spring. The good: Some traditional Christmas music beautifully captures the spirit of waiting and patience that Advent—and, for that matter, our current season of Lent—requires of us. For example: “How long is this Mariah Carey song, and when will it … Read More
Understanding Father Absence as One of Our Most Serious Social Problems
“The supreme test of any civilization is whether it can socialize men by teaching them to be fathers.” Margaret Meade Father absence refers to the fact that there are now 18.4 million children, 1 in 4, who are growing up in homes without their biological, step, or adoptive father in the home.[1] Tragically, father absence affects minorities disproportionally, especially the … Read More
Deconstructive Thoughts on “Forgetting Those Things Which are Behind”
“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14, KJV) (Phil. 3:13-14, KJV) This blog has always been about sharing “constructive … Read More
EXCLUSIVE PRAYER & MINISTRY UPDATE- 022622
“Lent is a time for discipline, for confession, for honesty, not because God is mean or fault-finding or finger-pointing but because he wants us to know the joy of being cleaned out, ready for all the good things he now has in store.’ — N.T. Wright Hi All! As I write this, there are signs of new life and the … Read More
Love’s Fiery Passion, Part 2 of 2
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, … Read More
Love’s Fiery Passion, Part 1 of 2
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, … Read More