q&a: "Is God a liar?"

I just posted my unedited response to a gut-honest question I received via email at conversant life.

love-blind to the stares

I recently responded to a question on conversantlife.com about how parents feel when others perceive their children as rebellious or atypical.

survey: if Jesus were sleeping in the boat...

If you have a few minutes, click on over to conversantlife.com for a quick question. I've been meditating on a passage in Mark for several days and I'd like to add your thoughts to my musings :-).

prescription for pain

"Mommy," my 6-year-old called, "my tummy hurts so bad. The only thing that will make it feel better is more cuddle-time with you."

I could hear the tears in Keona's voice so I knew this wasn't a stay-up-and-talk-instead-of-sleep ploy. Baby girl has had a tummy ache for several days.

So I laid down to cuddle with my dear daughter. She placed her head near my heart and wrapped us in her blanket.

"I wonder why cuddling with you is the only thing that makes me feel better when I'm hurting?" she sniffed between tears.

Before I could answer, she said, "I think it's because I love you so, so, so much."

Then I was the one crying.

Even in her pain, my daughter speaks words that heal others.

Love--what a force.

books, tomatoes, blankets, and chickens

A few snapshots for you on the home front:

Keona has been writing books for around a year now. She comes into my office, asks for several sheets of paper from the copier, folds them into a book, and sits down at the table to write. Her books are fabulous, filled with pictures and occasional words and lots of heart. Her newest book is titled, "Worshiping God wherever you are." She asked me to "publish around 100 copies to begin with" and has already "sold" 2 copies to Auntie Wawa and 1 to Miss Christie (for an unspecified price :-).

Jonathan walked into the house a few days ago with a smile on his face, a bucket of garden tomatoes in his hands, and this refrain on his lips: "money, money, money, money." His master plan? To sell the tomatoes and put the money in savings. Our 12 year is discovering the connection between work and future dreams.

Dear baby Louie--who calls his blanket a "tuck-you" and the chicken coop a "chickie poop"--is fascinated by our newest addition of 13 baby chicks. I sat reading a book with a watchful eye on Louie while he interacted with the chicks last night. He brought out his sister's cash register and kept pressing one of the buttons as he smiled and leaned into the box. Barry caught on immediately: "That ding-ding sounds just like the bird's cheeps! He's trying to communicate with them." When the chicks didn't recipricate, Louie attempted something else. He went over to the animal bucket and kept trying to introduce them to plastic animals. First a cow, then a sheep, followed by a giraffe...

And now...all of us are about to cuddle on the floor of the living room for our Friday night tradition of movies, pizza, and popcorn. (and alka seltzer...)

atheism...and peace of mind

This may be my last post on conversantlife.com. Not because of today's post (hopefully) but because the opportunity was originated by my publisher for the first three month's release of Finding an Unseen God.

It's a post that may be especially helpful for understanding how some Atheists find "peace" in their belief system. You can read it by clicking HERE.

mini-van treasure

We took one more summer fun day this weekend and drove down to Silver Dollar City. Here are my favorite memories:

• Louie's enormous light brown eyes staring in awe at Bob and Larry during the VeggieTale "invention of silliness" show.
• Jonathan's arm around Keona on the rides that were too small for him, but barely just right for her.
• Daddy's somewhat green--but smiling--face on that swirly, twirly, lose-your-cookies ride that he went on for the love of his kids.
• Mommy remembering why she hasn't visited that hamburger chain in YEARS.
• Keona in the back of the van on the way home with her eyes closed and her hands gently raised, smiling in her own private moment as she listened to Hillsong's worship music.

faith. family. fun.

treasures.