I thought the Facebook status about my solitary July 4th celebration was innocuous—a pictorial tribute to a close-to-perfect day: my favorite food, a fluff movie (Transformers: loved it!), a long walk by a scenic lake and enough patriotism to color it all with subtle shades of red, white and blue. A caring friend sent me […]

This article is not (repeat—not) a manifesto on the validity and value of boarding schools, though I’ll affirm that blanket statements are a disservice to the discussion. I’ve seen students thrive, their ties to their parents deepened through the boarding experience. I’ve also seen students wither away and grow bitter as they’ve endured life in […]

So you’re taking a stand against human trafficking. That’s great. But just so you know—you can’t really be against human trafficking and think porn is okay. You’ve signed the petitions and memorized the statistics: a $32 billion per year industry in which 1,000,000 children—one million children—are sold into the international sex trade. It’s awful. It’s […]

The murders perpetrated by Elliott Rodger in Isla Vista last Friday are horrific.  His women-hating motivation is equally disturbing.  We are rightfully outraged and, to express it, have turned to social media with a fast-spreading #yesallwomen hashtag intended to raise awareness and unify us in our dismay. Yes, violence against women is rampant across the […]

I’ve grown accustomed the controversy that follows the Academy Awards. This year, though, it was a little dumbfounding.  In some circles, Lupita Nyong’o’s acceptance-speech statement that “No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid” was met with philosophical dismay and disapproval.  “Not all dreams are valid” came the impassioned refrain from sources I generally […]

  There is a saying in the Christian community that makes me angry. It’s a popular one too. I once heard missionary parents state that they decided to keep their three teenage daughters with them in a war-torn African city because they so firmly believed that “there is no safer place than the center of […]

  Nearly two years ago, I wrote an article titled “Speak It” that garnered significant attention. This is a follow-up post providing parents with concrete steps for preventing, recognizing and responding to abuse. These recommendations apply to any family raising children in this broken world. But with MKs (missionaries’ kids), the added pressure they feel […]

Guess what?  I don’t care whether you see “Noah” or not! But I saw it.  And I was stimulated spiritually and intellectually by the truths and untruths it unabashedly professed. Noah is an epic mythological thriller creatively adapted from a biblical story, full of fascinating anachronisms and philosophical meanderings.  It’s a rather effective hybrid of […]

[This article also exists in podcast form, on Pondering Purple. Click HERE to listen or find it on your usual podcast platform.] We like Top Ten lists, don’t we? Bite-sized bits of information we can easily process and implement if we choose. Fashion trends. Vacation spots. Kardashian Katastrophes. I figure if it’s good enough for God’s Commandments, […]

There’s a common mistake we make when speaking with someone who isn’t doing well.  It’s a three-letter word: but. A recent trip took me to Europe, where I met with dozens of couples living internationally who were concerned about their children.  As we discussed the challenges and solutions pertinent to each of their situations, I began […]