Community
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“Boys Will Be Boys” and Other Lies
“He apparently has an issue, what he considers a sex addiction…it’s a temptation for him he wanted to eliminate.” Capt. Jay Baker, USA TODAY When I was fifteen years old, I took my first job as a waitress at a family-owned Italian restaurant. I enjoyed working long hours over my Summer vacation and worked many nights and weekends during the school year throughout my high school career. It was a busy restaurant, and I spent nearly every moment on my feet. One night a man came into the restaurant with his wife and teenage son. He was a regular, and I recognized him. His wife never seemed happy, and something…
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Know. Love. Serve.
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Notice and Do
Recently, Poiema Visual Arts invited me to share some of my heart on utilizing our strengths on their blog. Here’s a brief excerpt of my article: When it comes to contributing to the world around us, the opportunities are truly endless. One might notice a need to educate and equip others. In turn, that person might just be a fantastic school teacher, professor, or mentor. Another might notice a need for leadership and pursue a life of public service or pioneer a movement promoting healthy change. Yet, another might have a unique knack for systematizing and thrive in a career of logistical engineering. Still, others notice fresh ideas, see opportunities…
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Stories of Black and White
I remember the first time a Black man walked through the doors of my childhood church. He walked in late…really late. Actually, the sermon started to wrap up by the time he took his seat in the very back. As he later explained, he had spent most of the service out front pacing. See, he was just passing through the area and was trying to decide if his desire to attend Bible Study that evening outweighed his fear of walking into an unfamiliar church in a predominantly White area. He just didn’t know what to expect or if his presence would be well-received. I couldn’t have been more than 10…
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I Can’t Parent Like That
My guess is we’re all getting a front row seat to our natural strengths and weaknesses in the way we parent these days. I know I am. After all, my rhythms have been turned on their head and my responsibilities multiplied. From the way I accomplish work to the way I connect with my family, I’m flexing myself into a new way of being alongside them. The process is hardly straight-forward and rightfully unique to each of our families. At the end of the day, however, we get to rest in the assurance that God knew just what He was doing when He made us parents. He knew where we’d…
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Who Are We When People Hurt?
“My bubbly, extroverted children have fallen into a low-grade depression.” “My special needs child is struggling to adjust to our new normal. It’s emotionally exhausting for everyone.” “My kids are having nightmares – no one is sleeping through the night.” “My surgery keeps being bumped back because it’s seen as ‘non-essential’.” “My job was furloughed, but I’m not sure if my company will even make it.” “My company reduced my hours, again. If this keeps happening, I will have no way of paying my bills.” “My aunt died yesterday.” “The doctor just called to tell us there is no possibility of my cousin surviving.” These are real-life stories I’ve heard…
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Fostering Friendships
“You’re the only one that really knows me here.” At this point, she had already been attending our church for nearly two years. She even followed through by participating in a Sunday morning small group that met weekly. “I don’t usually share my story with everyone I meet; but, you’re really the only one that’s ever even asked anything about me. People have said ‘hi,’ they’ve smiled, told me it was nice to see me. But that’s where it has stopped.” I felt personally touched by her honesty but remained inwardly broken for her lack of genuine community. Broken because I knew she hadn’t entirely sat on the fence…
