(This article was first posted in 2009, when I still lived in Germany. See the end of this piece for the current “State of the Tree” update. If you’re single or know a single person, this might be an idea for you/them to consider…) I briefly visited the Basel Christmas market tonight, and as […]
[Just a word of caution: this article addresses mature subject matter and focuses on the needs of young people who may not have an active relationship with God guiding their sexual choices and behaviors. Grab a cup of tea, settle in, and take a deep breath.] “So do you hate me now?” Her gaze […]
For those who don’t receive my newsletters, this is the latest. One crucial aspect of my ministry is answering the heart-wrenching emails of adult MKs who still struggle to reconcile their experiences with the benevolent and loving God their parents preached. For some, the end result is a disavowal of their faith. Here is a […]
Breast cancer month. A reminder of the year in which a fresh awareness of mortality pushed me deeper into Life. When I first heard the song below, originally performed in French by Laurent Pagny, it moved me in a way music seldom does. There was something so universally profound about it that I vowed to […]
Ro·man·ti·cize (rōˈmantəˌsīz,rə-/) verb To deal with or describe in an idealized or unrealistic fashion; make (something) seem better or more appealing than it really is. I’m not a romance basher. Red roses, chilled wine, handmade cards, carefully chosen words? Count me in. But this article isn’t about the trappings of love. It’s about the prevalent […]
1986. I walked onto the Wheaton College campus for the first time. Everything felt hugely new. New culture, new way of life, new value-system. New educational level, new teaching methods, new homework load. New roommate, new expectations…new everything. I was not prepared for all the newness. I’d said goodbye to my other universe just a […]
I stink at idioms. Most MKs do. And when I inadvertently rewrite them, I tend toward rhymes. “To beat a dead horse” becomes “to flog a dead dog,” and “to blow one’s own horn” becomes “to toot one’s own flute.” Until a few years ago, I tried to mask my idiom-idiocy with semi-sayings along the […]
[Are there young women in your life that you know and love? I need your input on this topic. See the end of this article to make your contribution. And don’t miss the bonus video I’ve posted just because it’s my latest obsession…] T.M.I. ALERT: read at your own risk. Does anyone else get a […]
When I first heard that Tangled Ashes was a finalist for the Christy Awards, I thought, “Oh, that’s fun,” and accepted Tyndale’s invitation to attend the event in St Louis last weekend. The first clue that I’d vastly underestimated the importance of the Christies came when a fellow nominee asked, as we were walking across […]
Transitioning well. It’s possibly the topic requested most often at the seminars I lead, in part because so much transition happens in the course of ministry and in part because most of us realize we haven’t always done it well. Though this article is written with missionaries in mind, it is applicable to anyone who […]