Dear Generation Great
I believe God has His hand on you. We have never seen a generation like yours. This year, your numbers will surpass those of my generation, the Baby Boomers, to become the largest generation to ever walk this planet. Your generation is a caring, socially responsible generation. Unlike my generation, who protested everything, your generation…
Read more >
Planting with a Purpose
A few days ago, my friends and I set out on a cross-country adventure to visit our friend Joseph’s family. That sounds simple enough … until I mention the fact that we live in Kenya and drive a 22-year-old SUV. As you can imagine, our six-hour drive quickly turned into a twelve-hour saga. We dodged…
Read more >
More Than Just a Kid
The warm California sun leaked through the windows. A dozen squirmy young children sat on the floor in front of me, with skinned knees from failed bike riding attempts and sun-kissed cheeks from hours of outdoor play. They listened with wide-eyed anticipation as I told the story of a small river rock who dreamed of…
Read more >
Trophies Worth Striving For
I raised an athlete. My son had a bent towards sports from the time he was a toddler. Balls, bats, or hockey sticks were the only toys that sustained his attention for long. Not being an athlete myself, I was not prepared as a mom for all that this would mean – many miles logged…
Read more >
Everyday Girls, Extraordinary God
Naaman’s slave girl intrigues me. We do not know her name or exactly how old she was, but we do her situation (2 Kings 5). She was captured in a battle between Israel and Syria. Often these young captives were given backbreaking jobs in the fields, but for some reason, she was chosen by Naaman…
Read more >
Big Things Through Small People
I have always been a big fan of mountains, and few years ago I had an experience that deepened this love even more. While trekking through the Himalayas, I spent a week with a group of boys and girls who opened my eyes to the miraculous ways that God is using children to expand His…
Read more >
Giving Our Kids Significant Tasks
If you ask people what they do for a living, they will describe themselves according to their significant tasks: “I am a mother,” “I am a teacher,” “I am a doctor” or whatever task identifies them best. Having a significant task is a part of our God-given DNA. Every child, no matter how young, wants…
Read more >
Developing the Heart of a Leader
Silent and still, I stayed there, sitting on a giant bean bag in the corner of the room, watching Dakota take her younger brother on an imaginary adventure. With gentleness and grace, she showed him the ropes of playing make believe. I adored the way he listened to her, eyes wide, soaking in every word…
Read more >
Good, Better, Best
Back in the day, we considered three things sacred: God, country and the Montgomery Ward catalog. Emblazoned on its cover was the proclamation “Largest Mail Order Business in the U.S.—Supplies for every Trade and Calling on the Earth.” It hawked the world’s goods, everything from fashions to farm implements to something called “crockery.” You could…
Read more >
A Luncheon and a Legacy
Sixteen years ago, right after two new baby girls were born into our family, my daughter’s mother-in-law (Ruth) initiated an idea that has become a tradition for the ladies and girls in our family. Every spring, we get together for a luncheon that is loosely inspired by the Jewish festival of Purim and the bold,…