There is a saying in the Christian community that makes me angry, and hearing it again a few days ago has rekindled my dislike for it. Whoever first coined the phrase was probably well-intentioned, but its implications are murky at best—misleading at worst. With just three days remaining before my surgery, I’d like to address […]
He was a brooding, intense and honest young man who had been in my life for two years, participating in various performances and hanging out at my place with his friends. He had held starring roles in plays, outreach events, and several different sports, bringing home all-European MVP trophies twice. He was loved and respected […]
(We’ll get back to our “regular programming” next week…promise!) I was in a pretty bubbly mood, this morning, as I headed off to the doctor’s office again. I was prepared to discuss surgery and anxious to get this ball rolling. For the past couple of weeks, when people have asked me what I’m giving up […]
It’s called The Balancing Rock. An astounding natural phenomenon found in the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs. When I saw it a few days ago, I wanted to rename it. It looked more like a Teetering Rock. An About-to-Fall-Off Rock. A Wounded and Toppling Rock. As I photographed it a dozen times, I […]
When I was little, I’d snuggle up to my mom in the evenings and listen to her reading “Are You My Mother?” to me, attracted to the melancholy plight of the children’s book character in a way I’d never been to Snow White or Babar. In the story, the baby bird, a rather pathetic figure […]
The usual disclaimer: though what I describe here is certainly true of a majority of the MKs I’ve known, it is not necessarily true of all of them. When it comes to “money,” experiences will vary according to location, mission organization, support structure, parental example and cultural opinion. If you’re from Malaysia, money might grow […]
Taking a break, this week, from “The Lies MKs Believe.” Check back next week for another installment in the series. ********** Please feel free to shield your eyes. I’ve been polishing my halo all night, trying to get it gleaming bright (like the Prince’s teeth in romantic cartoons!) in the hope that the other-worldly sheen […]
Josh, an 18-year old senior at Black Forest Academy, was home in Italy with his 4-year old brother, Sam. (Pictured below) They were sitting on the balcony one night, looking up at the stars, and Sam was saying the cutest things. Josh listened and smiled, content to be sitting under the Italian sky, spending time […]
Hypocrisy is a topic we don’t like to address in the missionary community, mostly because of the unspoken lie that a little bit of deception can be good for ministry. Deception by omission, mind you. The harmless, distant cousin of outright hypocrisy. Where does “putting your best foot forward” end and “misrepresenting yourself” begin? Where […]
With the start of a new year comes the renewal of my passion to be an advocate for MKs and missionaries. To that end, I’d like to begin a series of posts (which may not be sequential) entitled “The Lies MKs Believe.” My hope is that it will shed some light on behaviors that can […]