Our family recently attended a surprise 40th birthday for a dear family friend. There were about 60 of us in total, 40 adults and the rest were children. After the collective “surprise” and dinner, most of the kids went outside to play on an ultra-cool playground that was about 100 yards from the dining hall where the event occurred. All of us adults remained inside and watched as Rob quickly opened his few gag gifts and cards, while a few of the accomplice moms prepared the sheet cake … [Read more...]
August 1, 2012 By 12 Comments
When Your Child has Cancer…
Our sweet Sarah was just six when she was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. Our family's world was shaken. Our foundations were rocked. Our grief was incalculable. Life and Death in a Song One day shortly after Sarah's diagnosis, I was running some errands and listening to the radio when a song called Untitled Hymn started playing. It beautifully described all the different chapters we go through in life and finished up with a verse about the end of life. It closed with the … [Read more...]
July 31, 2012 By 9 Comments
Theology is no Substitute for Waiting Under an Oak
I have an eight-year-old son now. He’s skinny, like I was. He’s (mostly) gentle, a rule follower, and he prefers playing with Legos by himself in his bedroom and please stay out unless you are offering food. Check, check and check – just like I used to be. Practicing the Ritual of Waiting I remember late on Saturday afternoons, when I was his age, I would hear my dad shouting out of the farmhouse. His voice moved like a ripple. I scrambled toward the house as fast as I could, … [Read more...]
July 25, 2012 By 7 Comments
10 Tips to Dating over 30
I’ve been at this a few years. I’ve tried online dating and dating friends of friends. I’ve tried dating people I’ve known for years and people I’ve just met. I’ve learned a lot from the experience, including that just because he says he’ll call doesn’t mean he will (Yes, I realize perhaps that should have been obvious). So here are some of my insights in case they help any of you who find yourselves dating during the years when some cultures relegate you permanently to … [Read more...]
July 24, 2012 By 5 Comments
Loving Your Loved Ones Correctly
Sometimes, I find it hard it to love loved ones. Not because I don’t actually love them, but because I do not love them correctly. I say “I love you”, but I do not display it in my actions! Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always … [Read more...]
July 20, 2012 By 6 Comments
Wasted Years that Were Not a Waste…
My pre-adult years were drenched in bitterness and rage. Oh, if I knew then what I know now. I wanted to be a baseball player, champing for Little League to start, followed by, I knew, AAA ball and eventually the Majors and adulation. Instead, I was diagnosed with a rare bone disease that robbed me of the ability to walk for much of my grade school years. While other kids ran and played, I did a slow burn sitting out my childhood. Childhood Dreams Deferred My parents were supportive, … [Read more...]
July 10, 2012 By 7 Comments
Adoption – Learning to Say YES!!!
When, Grace, our fourth child came along, I was certain we were done having kids. Who wouldn’t be? Four is a full house. While I saw full bedrooms, a full minivan, and an empty pantry, my wife saw room for one more. The word “adoption” would occasionally get thrown around our conversations. To me it was an important topic. One that all of us should be actively involved in. I felt my role was to “actively” watch everyone else do all of the work. I still remember the first … [Read more...]
July 9, 2012 By 11 Comments
Love – Finding a Definition That Works
Our culture is obsessed with the idea of love. Films, music, art, and even Virginia bumper stickers are saturated with the word “love.” But there is a problem: most of us cannot define love. We know that a feeling is involved. Ron Burgundy claims it is like, “skyrockets in flight!” Many can identify examples of love, but definitions rarely get passed, “you know, it’s love!” I recently celebrated my third anniversary to a far more amazing wife then a guy like me could … [Read more...]
July 6, 2012 By 11 Comments
3 Tips for Parents of Teenagers (From a guy with no kids)
Six months ago I got married. And two weeks ago my wife and I taught the "Parenting Teens" class at my church because, you know, wait . . . we're qualified to do that? What was my church thinking?! To be fair, we both work for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Oregon State University. We spend large chunks of our days with college students and kids in their late teens. So I guess you could say we know a thing or two. Teaching that class was an exciting and humbling experience. We may … [Read more...]
July 5, 2012 By 36 Comments
Babies Scare Me – a Guest Post
Babies scare me. I don’t hold other people’s offspring. Up until a year ago I’d never changed a diaper, been puked on, or walked into see a 12-month old pulling the poo out of their diaper. Trust me any of those incidents are scare worthy. What changed? My wife and I had twins a little over 1 year ago. Now for some reason my kids help me experience the above gag nastiness and scare-filled episodes when my wife is nowhere to be found. Case in point… The Diaper Debacle My twins … [Read more...]
