We live at the end of a quiet road. Just us, one other property owner, and then the short stretch of the Daniel Boone National Forest rolling into Laurel River Lake. It’s the kind of place where mornings feel older than the calendar. Cold air. Frost on the grass. We love it here. A couple […]
The Totoro Hat and the Rifle Read More »
When I was twelve or thirteen, my parents came home from what felt like a spiritual revival for families. They’d just returned from one of Bill Gothard’s weeklong Basic Youth Conflicts seminars; those massive evangelical events that could fill entire stadiums in the 1970s and early 80s. They brought back binders, books, games, and a
We’ve become a culture of shortcuts. Quick dopamine hits instead of slow growth. Virtual affection instead of human touch. Excuses instead of effort. And while some substitutes come from heartbreak or loss and deserve compassion, others are chosen out of fear, laziness, or comfort. Let me start with empathy. Not everyone has access to what
Stop Accepting Substitutes Read More »
The Edge of the Bed Most nights, I sleep on the edge of our large king-sized bed. Not because Dawn pushes me there, she’s too kind for that, but because of Pierre, our small, white Bichon Frise, who seems to believe that love requires no personal space. Pierre doesn’t just want to be near us;
Pierre’s Lesson: The Heartbeat of Connection Read More »