Family
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How Pornography is Robbing Men…and Boys
There can be no doubt that pornography is a major problem in our society. Even some, who a few years ago, thought that “a little porn” was “no big deal” are now reversing course. As we see this industry grow into a literal powerhouse economically, it is clear that the “adult” industry is here to stay. But at what cost? Pornography is not just a problem for men any longer. Though we are going to confine our thoughts in this post to males, it is now estimated that fully 30% of those who regularly visit pornographic websites are female, and the number is growing. More startling, though, is the suggestion…
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To My Son, After a Special Day
Dear Son, You may not long remember what happened Saturday, but I won’t soon forget it. If you do remember it, your mind may go to some of the things that happened that you found a bit unpleasant. I know it was noisy, and the game lasted a long time, but I’m not sure I’ll ever forget our day. I asked you if you wanted to go watch a basketball game, and I know you aren’t really into sports, but you decided to go anyway. Mostly, that was because you found out grampy was going to be there, too, but that’s okay. That’s part of what made it a special…
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Why Your Son Doesn’t Answer: Understanding a Boy’s Brain
Nearly anytime I see a report that trumpets some great discovery about how males and females are different, I have to laugh. Does it really take a scientific study to tell us something that any trip to the park or the mall would make abundantly clear? However, some of the information about why there are differences really is interesting. One of those has to do with the way a boy’s brain is wired. It helps to explain some of the difficulties we as parents might face in raising a young man. To those of us without a medical degree, the brain has “gray” and “white” matter in it. Doctors have very fancy…
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Why Wait for Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is Friday. (Husbands, read that sentence again!) Leah and I have never made a huge deal of the holiday, but we always go out on a date and enjoy some time with the kids. We don’t buy extravagant gifts, but I do still ask her to be my valentine. Of course, now Turner asks her, too, so I have some competition! I hope you are planning something special for the day, but I’d like to ask: why wait until Friday? Why wait until Valentine’s Day? You don’t have to wait to tell your husband or wife “I love you.” You don’t have to wait to get a little…
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How to Lead Your Family in Home Devotionals
[Note: The following in the manuscript I am using for a lecture at the annual Freed-Hardeman University Bible lectures on the theme “How to Lead Your Family in Home Devotionals.” Although much longer than my usual blog posts, I hope you find it encouraging.] It is 8 PM and your home is still and calm. The children have already cleaned their rooms so that a maid would be jealous of the perfection of their work. They have taken their showers, and you are sure that there is not a single germ or speck of dirt to be found anywhere on their bodies. Their teeth are gleaming white, and you are…
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11 Things I Regret and 1 Thing I Never Will
Maybe the hardest part of forgiveness is self-forgiveness. There is no doubt that God forgives, and I’m grateful for so many in my life who have shown me forgiveness throughout the years. However, I know my weaknesses, and my brain–like yours, I’m sure–refuses to let me forget things that I know I’ve been forgiven of. Some of that isn’t good, but it’s not all bad, either. A feeling of regret is helpful when confronted with the same temptations or struggles later in life. Wisdom demands that we remember and use that regret as motivation to do better. This post is not meant to be a “tell-all” (sorry if you were…
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“The Wolf of Wall Street” and a Vanishing Conscience
506. According to Variety magazine, that is how many times a movie-goer who sees the film “The Wolf of Wall Street” will hear one particular curse word. You read that correctly. In the three-hour (exactly) movie, just one curse word is used over five-hundred times. It averages out to 2.8 occurrences per minute over the course of the 180 minute film. I have seem some Christians on social media mentioning this “extreme” use of language. Thankfully, they are not people who have seen the movie, but those who are just reporting–as I am in this post–this awful use of language. Listening to the radio the other day, we heard a dj mention this…
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Tears of Faith
Recently, I had a wonderful visit with an aging saint. He has been through quite a number of health issues, and is a widower of a little more than 10 years. He is fairly quiet, but we enjoy each other’s company. On this day, he had great news from his doctors and was wanting to talk. It was a joy to hear his good news and then just to “shoot the breeze” for a few minutes. To say the least, we had a great visit. However, during the course of our time, this man shed tears. Twice. But he taught me so much in those moments that I pray I…
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We Homeschool, But You Don’t Have To (or, “Why a Lot of Homeschoolers Give Homeschooling a Bad Name”)
Yes, we homeschool our children. Yes, we have since they started school. We are in year 3 now. Yes, we think it’s what is best for our children (at least at this time). But no…we do not think you have to in order to be faithful parents. I saw it again very recently. I was scanning my Facebook feed and noticed an article someone had linked to. It was about some controversial matter in another state in a public school (by the way, the person who linked to the article doesn’t even live in the state where the event happened). It was one of those matters that is good to…
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The Parable of Two Stained Shirts
The First Shirt A certain man was wearing a white-as-snow dress shirt for a date with his wife. He worked quite hard all day on the job, and though his job was boring, he worked with a smile, knowing that his effort was bringing in money to support his family. His home life was stressful, but pleasant, and he was so excited, because tonight was a long-overdue date night with his wife. The sitter was actually a few minutes early, and the couple left for their date in the cold weather of winter. When they arrived at the restaurant, the man–being a gentleman–helped his wife take off her coat and…
