A tear appears in my brother’s eye. It wells up before spilling over, trickling down his cheek as I kiss him on the forehead to say goodbye. He lies immobile in his bed, ALS having attacked him relentlessly, rendering his muscles useless, reducing his voice to a whisper. Soon, he will be unable to speak. …
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It’s been years now, but I distinctly recall how Lori answered the phone when I called to check on her. “I’m doing better this time,” she said, “I’m not crying…at least not much.” Two days before, we had left our youngest daughter, Madi, at her apartment, where she would attend her first year of college. …
Many parents have grown frustrated with the “gentle approach” to parenting. A new trend has emerged based on the idea of allowing children to experience the natural consequences of their actions. The slang acronym for this style of parenting is “FAFO,” short for “F**Around and Find Out.” So, for instance, if a kid refuses to …
My eight-year-old granddaughter, Emmie, and I scooted into the grocery store. I had taken her to Campbellsville, Ky., to buy her a Bible. “Your very own Bible,” I promised. Then I let her choose where she wanted to eat. Before we headed home, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up a few items. …
When I retired, I had to do something with all the daily organizers that I had kept year by year. After 37 years of pastoral ministry, I had accumulated a bookshelf of them. “Toss them all,” several told me. That made sense, but for some reason, perhaps because they represented years of work, I couldn’t. …