“We all have tough days.” I say this to my kids, as they watch another kid melting down in the waiting room. They nod, but stare anyway. I say it so that the child's parent or grandparent can hear it too, whose frustration is likely part exasperation at the behavior, part embarrassment in front of… Continue reading While We’re in the Therapy Waiting Room
A writer friend asked me, “So, what have you been reading this summer?” Writers have to (and love to) be readers; it's part of the craft, and feeds the creative juices. I paused just a moment to think of the last book I'd read. “Oh, that's right,” I replied, “only the Bible.” That only is… Continue reading Binge-Reading the Bible
God wants us to take all our vacation, AND to find pleasure in the midst of toil. Pleasure is built into the design of human beings. That's the message I glean from the wisdom book of Ecclesiastes. That is not the takeaway I expected from any book in the Bible. Christianity may be more commonly… Continue reading God wants us to vacation
I know it is just a summer job to you A way to earn some cash for gas Or back-to-school clothes But you are also Making a lasting impression on my kids When you soothe the pre-schooler's fear Of splashing during swim lessons Or notice the 2nd grader who cannot quite Break into a… Continue reading A Tribute to the Teens of (Our) Summer
A God who is Our Father would never sanction the punitive traumatizing of children, by separating them from their parents at a national border. As a parent, it is unthinkable. To my 3- and 7-year-old daughters, my presence is everything. From the moment they wake up, to the moment they fall asleep, and if they… Continue reading You Can’t Call God “Father,” and Treat God’s Children Like This
It’s not just those people who work at the border who are enforcing this. It is me too, if I do not act to put a stop to it.
We technically live near each other. Why is it so hard to get together? Both my spouse and I yearn to talk to adults unrelated to our work lives, but the best of intentions don't seem to pan out often. Our daughters see friends even in the summer at tee-ball, vacation Bible school, swim lessons,… Continue reading Summer Goal: Family Playdates
"How did you two end up meeting? I can't remember." My husband and I have been married for eleven years; I bet no one has asked me that in at least 5. For very good reason though: we've been parents for the past 5 years. While our two daughters are among the most wonderful parts… Continue reading Non-milestone anniversaries
This year, the hand-me-downs are downright thought-provoking. Last fall they made me sentimental, because it was the first time my younger daughter fit into clothes that used to be her older sister's, whom we adopted as a (tall) 2-year-old. Now as our pre-schooler tries on warm weather clothes from her older sister, it's not just… Continue reading Hand-me-down Church
Pick the one of those things that makes you most uncomfortable, then let's find someone who meets the description to talk about the Bible with!
Lee Ann M. Pomrenke 