Articles

Can temptation become a force for good in our lives? Have you reached the age where temptation is avoiding you? Me neither. On the golf course I’m tempted to kick my golf ball from behind a tree while pointing at wildlife. And to cheat at Dutch Blitz. My kids know this. They watch me like…

How fast-track cultures always undervalue the joy of anticipation   Patience is that quality you admire in the driver behind you, but can’t stand in the driver in front of you. Back when they used to throw rice at weddings, a young guy dated a girl for years. She dropped subtle hints and dreamed he…

In my book Family Squeeze, I tell of the time we found ourselves wedged between children and aging parents. My dad was picking out hearing aids while my kids were strapping on headphones and cranking up the volume. Nothing prepares you for this in high school, but we tried to do the next right thing.…

Why I wouldn’t trade the teen years for a good night’s sleep When I was a teenager, my mom said, “Follow your dreams, Son.” So, I went back to bed. We had our children fast. Three in three years. The anaesthetic from the first birth was still working for the third. Before long, we had…

I loved the great hymns we sang in church, but sometimes they confused me. We sang: “round yon virgin mother and child,” and I thought, Who is John Virgin? And why was he so round? A child heard, “Gladly the cross I’d bear,” and wondered why they would name a cross-eyed bear Bradley. Remember the…

Have you, at least once in the past week, told someone, “I’m tired?” One guy said, “I’m so tired that if my life was measured in dog years, I’d be dead.” I don’t even know what that means. One evening when my son was small, I brought home a thick briefcase and sat down at the…

In my blog “Disappointment with Christians,” I told of a lunch I shared with journalist Frank King. After that a friendship developed. When a relationship fell through, Frank had an extra ticket to an Eagles concert, so he called me. “You mean the Hotel California Eagles?” “Yep,” said Frank. “They’re old and bald. You’ll be…

A surprising conversation leads to an unlikely friendship Frank King and I first shared lunch one cool spring day. For some time, I’d read his music column in a city newspaper and called to tell him so. We talked awhile, then out of the blue he asked if I was a Christian. “I used to…

How to relearn to live life interested Children and dogs get it right. Each day is filled with wonder. For our youngest grandchild Haddie, everything is to be licked, grabbed, or stuffed in her mouth (I don’t recommend this). For our dog, each new sight is a treasure chest of wonder: Squirrels! Trees! Bugs! A…