Advent in the Land of The Arguers
For those of us who also find ourselves in a land of Arguers, where can we find hope?
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Nanette’s Baguette, Attachment, and Connection
I have a new favorite children’s book – it’s one that has been on my mind a lot recently. As I’ve shared here at Story Warren, The Napping House, by Audrey Wood is an absolute favorite (http://www.storywarren.com/playing-favorites-the-napping-house/). And Mo Willems’ imaginative retelling of a classic tale, Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs, is also at the…
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Sir Raleigh, Storytelling, and the Sea
A wonderful painting hangs on the wall of my office. This gift from my lovely wife is a reproduction of Millais’ The Boyhood of Raleigh, and I hope it continues working its way into my heart and imagination. James K. A. Smith summarizes well the story behind this painting (2016, 92): “Sir Walter Raleigh, you…
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The King and the Kids’ Table
Do you remember when you “graduated” from the kids’ table and joined the adult table at Thanksgiving or other family gatherings? Was that transition something you’d looked forward to? Or did you find yourself wishing you were back with younger siblings and cousins? While you sit with those memories for a minute, let’s connect that…
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Encouraging the ‘Why’
There is a certain little word that can make parents crazy. It is worse than ‘Oww!’, more frustrating than ‘No!’, and more challenging than ‘Mine!’ That word is: ‘Why?’ At a far-too-young age most children discover the word ‘why’ and its mystical powers for simultaneously getting parents to talk and flustering them. My wife and…
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Knowing What Page You’re On: Waiting, Hoping, and Dr. Seuss
There seems to be a lack of bookmarks in my house – it’s not uncommon to find books left on tables, benches and counters being kept open by odd placeholders – coasters, markers, pencils, toys, and even other books! At the end of the day, if I gather up these paperbacks and hardcovers and remove the…
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Using Our Imaginations: The Cross as Tuning Fork
A few months ago, during worship, as the congregation was standing and singing together, I noticed something. My friend, Alan Nesbitt, a music teacher who often leads singing for our church, had his tuning fork stuck in his belt. He wasn’t leading singing that day, but he still had his tuning fork with him. My first thought was…
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Parent as Poet
My family and I serve as missionaries in Mozambique. Most Sundays, we’re out in one village or another, the five of us worshipping under a thatch roof with a local church. I usually end up preaching to a few dozen people, communicating in a language that is not my native tongue. The people we’ve worked with…
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The Soundtrack of Childhood
Raising our family in Africa means that our daughters have a very different “soundtrack” to their childhood than the one I grew up with. There are the animal noises (roosters, goats and bush babies), the cotton gin humming in the background, the mangoes dropping on our roof, and the termites chewing on our bamboo fence(!)….
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Embracing a Pigpen Spirituality
In the interest of full disclosure, I should start by telling you that I have a complicated relationship with the “Peanuts” Comic Strip. I tend to cringe, resist, and pull back from all things related to Snoopy and Co. You see, back in high school, I played the role of Charlie Brown in a student…
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If You Find Yourself in the Wrong Story
I have a new second favorite children’s book. As I’ve shared here at Story Warren, The Napping House by Audrey Wood is my absolute favorite (http://www.storywarren.com/playing-favorites-the-napping-house/). But there’s now another children’s book that is coming in a close second. It’s a book by Mo Willems, an imaginative retelling of a classic tale. His version is…
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The Greater Glow
There’s a house for sale in a good neighborhood. It sits on a little rise, slightly above its neighbors, enjoying a prominent location. But, although the house gets lots of enquires and plenty of foot traffic, there have been no serious offers. The realty agency is puzzled and since the owner is a friend, one…
