Fourteen years ago, my then-boyfriend surprised me by flying from Kodiak Island, Alaska (his home), to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (my home), to ask me to marry him. We had met through friends via e-mail about 15 months before, and, crazy as it sounds now, we only visited in person seven times before we were married. Would I do it all again? Absolutely! Will I freak out a little if my daughters try this? Undoubtedly!
In our early years of marriage, we... Read More
I bet you know that Mother’s Day is Sunday.
Ads constantly remind you that the women in your life would love flowers, chocolate, breakfast in bed, brunch, jewelry, or a day off from typical mothering duties. The abundance of pink cards praise the women who nurture, protect, and raise the next generation.
While we are so busy trying to show our love for these great women, I can’t stop thinking about those who are actively involved in trying to stop... Read More
Curious about what comes after death? How can you not be? Everybody wants to know, “What’s next for me?” Here is an excerpt from a Time of Grace viewer letter that sums up many other similar questions:
Do you see Judgment Day as occurring on the day of death or as an actual coming event universally? How does one resolve going to heaven or hell immediately upon death with the concept of a universal Judgment Day? Is that where the... Read More
A few weeks ago I shared the story of a 13-year-old girl who fell to her death because of a video. I offered up a couple of questions about raising our boys to be men after God’s own heart, and I appreciated the comments you shared.
This week I want to start a discussion about girls. It seems we have a generation of girls who feel so starved for attention that they will do just about anything—at any age—to get... Read More
I was shocked. Well, maybe disappointed would be the better word.
It’s getting harder to be shocked at things celebrities do. But chatter about Martha Stewart in the tabloids caught my eye. Ms. Stewart, arbiter of taste in home design and cooking, taped a segment with Matt Lauer for the Today TV show in which she outlined a plan for finding her next romance. Divorced since 1987, she said she was frustrated with normal dating rituals and confessed that she... Read More
April is “Month of the Military Child.” As the mother of three military kids, I’m fairly certain I’m biased, but I think military kids are pretty great.
The upside of this military life is that most kids get to see more of the country by age 18 than the average person will see in his or her lifetime. The experiences they take for granted are often on most people’s bucket lists. They have friends all over the country and develop... Read More
It happened again. To the same family.
It sounds like the plot for a great TV drama, which in fact it has been. A Christian family believes so strongly in the power of prayer and God’s promises of healing that the parents do not seek medical help when a child falls seriously ill. The child dies, and local authorities have to decide whether or not to prosecute, weighing the competing interests of protecting children vs. protecting parental rights.
Last week... Read More
The first lesson in taxes didn’t go well. With all three kids, it looked something like this . . .
My sweet child was ready to walk up to the register, a crumpled bill clutched in a still-chubby fist and a pack of gum proudly held in the other. That’s when I had to break the news: “You don’t actually have enough money.”
“It says $1, and I have $1,” the pre-K child replied.
“I know,” I said sympathetically, “but... Read More
All of America is in shock today, grieving for the three people killed in a double bomb blast in Boston. At least 176 others were injured, some severely enough to lose limbs. All of us here at Time of Grace join our hearts with the individuals and their families who are hurting right now.
We know from Scripture that there is such evil in the world because Satan is still alive, roaming and wrecking. Sometimes he pretends to be our... Read More
Matthew Warren is no longer tormented by his mental illness and depression. On April 5, he took his own life with a firearm his father said was purchased on the Internet, its serial number filed off.
He was 27.
Matthew’s famous father is Rev. Rick Warren, senior pastor of the huge Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Orange County, California. Rick Warren will go down in American history just for planting and growing the famous church, but he also was tapped... Read More
