Archive for July, 2009
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Our wayward children
Extended is a good way to describe my family. So when we have a family reunion, we come from far and near and we fill all the table space while we fill ourselves with good food and conversational catching up.
Earlier this month, my husband spoke a few words to us all before we ate. He reminded us that all the families in the Bible are broken families, as are our own families. We are not alone in our suffering over a wandering husband, wife, child, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin or grandparent. Together, our only hope of healing and wholeness is through the Cross.
As we wait and pray for that reconnecting and reconciliation, how do we act toward that one who is “away?” My son, Abraham, was away and now he is back. His advice comes from personal experience:
No strategy for reaching your son or daughter will have any lasting effect if the underlying goal isn’t to help them know Jesus.
Jesus.
It’s not so that they will be good kids again; it’s not so that they’ll get their hair cut and start taking showers; it’s not so that they’ll like classical music instead of deathcore; it’s not so that you can stop being embarrassed at your weekly Bible study; it’s not so that they’ll vote conservative again by the next election; it’s not even so that you can sleep at night, knowing they’re not going to hell. (Read the whole article)
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Happy birthday, monsieur
History buffs will recognize the name of Alexis de Tocqueville, who was born this day in 1805. He traveled around America in the early 1800s, and recorded his observations in Democracy in America.
I haven’t read the book, but he is quotable and still much quoted. Often he commented on our society:
But he also noticed the kind of people we were. And I have to say, I’ve run into a few of these people lately:
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Planning a wedding?
Hmm. Why didn’t we think of doing our wedding processional like this Minnesota couple?
Oh, wait a minute. I just remembered. I don’t know how to dance.
Monday, July 27th, 2009
The center of the universe
My friend Jo was a child when Apollo 11 landed on the moon:
I was living with my family in Karachi, Pakistan. We didn’t have a television, but I still have vivid memories of huddling around the radio listening to the live broadcasts. A couple of weeks later we got to see films of the landing in school. . . .
