Life is Struggle

As I sit here in the pre-dawn minutes of December 27, 2016 with my favorite coffee mug and a quiet house, I am getting a few minutes to think – something that seems rare for me these days.  The last seven years since Brad was diagnosed with leukemia have brought a range of life events I never anticipated.  I never dreamed we would deal with our child being at the brink of death so many times.  I never anticipated our entire life in many ways would revolve around this unwelcome illness.  We learned to be extremely grateful just to be out of a hospital for holidays.  I remember the Christmas of 2009 when Brad walked again for the first time in four months, and our whole family broke down in tears of gratitude. 

Just What Did You Expect from Trump?

In the aftermath of weekend revelations concerning Trump's sexism and Monday night's presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, evangelical Trump supporters are rethinking their position.  Some have been "shocked" at Trump from the "hot-mike" comments made before a 2005 interview with Billy Bush for Access Hollywood.  Shocked that Trump views women as sexual objects.  Shocked that he goes after married women for sport.  Shocked that he assaults women because he can.  Just shocked!

More Than a Dinner Bell

On a recent weekend, my wife Stacey and I made an effort to clean out our basement.  Over the past couple of months, I had built a small extra storage garage so that I could get some of the junk out of our regular garage.  This led to a total reorganization effort, resulting in a monster pile of goods to donate to charity.  Most of these items came from our basement.  We went through everything making an effort to eschew sentimentality and throw out things we are never going to use.  As we did this, I came across the small pile of items I have been keeping for my brothers and me which came from my parent's home.

Advice for the Best Man - Avoiding 9 Pitfalls that Can Wreck a Wedding Speech

As the wedding season moves into full swing, I have some unsolicited advice which might benefit you prospective best men and maids of honor.  If you have been asked to serve in such an important role, count yourself special.  Someone values you highly.  This honor typically includes the expectation that you will give a speech at the wedding reception of your friend.  For many, the thought of taking a microphone and speaking to hundreds of people you barely know can be downright terrifying.  If you will just keep a few things in mind, you can give a killer address that will honor your friend for a lifetime.

Swimming Against the Riptide of Gender Bending

While on vacation at the ocean some time back, I was rafting some gentle waves and lost track of the shoreline.  When I looked up, I was far from land.  I immediately began to swim back for the beach but was caught in a strong current.  I fought hard for shore but was moving farther and farther from land.  There was a point where I thought I didn’t have the strength to make it back – in fact I had gotten very nearly to the point of no return.

I now have that same sense in regard to our culture.  Yesterday, the New York Times stated that the Department of Education would issue guidelines that schools should allow students to participate in activities and use facilities in accordance with the gender with which they identify.  These guidelines come with the threat of removing federal funds if schools do not comply.  I heard high school principals, state officials from around the country, and progressive educators explaining the benefits both for our students and our country.  Cultural elites are hailing this as a great day for fairness and an inevitable step of progress toward true equality for all.

Living in Bizarro World

Do you remember the Seinfeld episode which focused on Bizarro World, a concept taken from Superman comics? Also incorporating the now famous “man hands” sketch, this episode was hilarious. In Bizarro world, everything is backwards. Good is bad, up is down, left is right, etc. Lately, I feel as if I’ve been dropped into Bizarro world myself. “How so?” you may ask. Because the most recent 2016 presidential election polls show Donald Trump leading the Republican field with nearly 40% of evangelical Christians now supporting him. I am pausing now for emphasis … EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS!