How much do you think about Heaven? A lot? A little? Not at all? Whether your earthly life is close to it’s end or you have many decades still in front of you, I hope your thoughts turn often to Heaven because that eternal perspective lifts the weariness we all face. One of my dear friends who thought well and often of Heaven was named Melina. Melina was a dark-haired, dark-eyed beauty (think, full-blooded Italian… … Continue reading
Google “marriage jokes” and these are some of the things you’ll find: Marriage is not a word. It is a sentence–a life sentence. Marriage is very much like a violin; after the sweet music is over, the strings are attached. Marriage is love. Love is blind. Therefore, marriage is an institution for the blind. Marriage is an institution in which a man loses his Bachelor’s Degree and the woman gets her Masters. Marriage is a… … Continue reading
My children loved watching Mister Rogers Neighborhood on TV and if I’m honest, his quiet deliberate way of talking about life had a calming effect on me, too. The former Presbyterian pastor’s warm smile, compassionate heart and friendly puppets were convincing to viewers that he, indeed, did “like you just the way you are.” But in June of 1990, when I was 36 and our daughters 8, 10 and 12 were no longer Mister Rogers’… … Continue reading
I got an email from a concerned virgin: a young man troubled by the sexual sins of his partner’s past. His voice is just one in the choir of hundreds of young men and women that I meet and counsel who are bogged down by the disappointment in their heart at the un-reciprocated sexual purity they face in light of their partner’s sexual history. It’s clear that letting go of a partner’s sexual past continues… … Continue reading
The most popular post on my blog is one I wrote last year called, The Number One Sign Your Kids are Just Borrowing Your Faith (and Not Developing Their Own). That post has been read by more than 80,000 people and shared almost 14,000 times. Clearly it resonated deeply with people. So what was the sign that your kids are just “borrowing” your faith? They rarely, if ever, ask questions about it. Many parents wrote… … Continue reading
When Bo was in prison and I (Gari) was dealing with serious illness, we needed to encourage and support each other because we were both in a tough place. As a man, Bo sometimes needed support in different ways than I needed as a woman. In our book, Grace Behind Bars, we both write about our journey. Following are some keys we would like to share for getting through difficult times. 1. When your husband… … Continue reading
Sometimes, life doesn’t go as we’ve planned. The test results come back—and they’re not good. The relationship ends. The money doesn’t come in. Infertility lingers. The dream doesn’t come true. So what do we do when it feels like our prayers go unanswered? When the things we’ve been asking God to fix for so long remain broken or unclear? After my own twenty-year journey of praying the same prayer and not (yet) seeing it answered,… … Continue reading
I love going on runs. Actually, let me be honest, if you were to see me you might describe what I do as jogging… or brisk walking. But, hey, at least I’m moving. I used to live in a home that sat at the bottom of a hill. The road that led up the hill was called Power Road. Don’t you love the name of that road? Something about it sounds daunting. And it was.… … Continue reading
Our home is a welcoming place to grandkids and granddogs alike. One day we were watching Bailey, our ten-year-old golden retriever granddog from the Waco division of Burchett Incorporated. She is a regal and beautiful girl who loves to swim. We took our Maggie and Bailey out to the pool to do just that. Maggie swims like she is competing for the final Olympic-team spot. She goes full bore to the end, jumps out, shakes… … Continue reading
I’m ready to leave the shop, but one thing stands in my way—the door. Not exactly a formidable barrier, but the odds are against me. My preschooler is running in circles, while my toddler pulls at my left hand; my right hand grips this terribly unwieldy baby carrier. Inside the carrier is my infant daughter. She is hungry and tired and howling. My purse is falling off one shoulder, my diaper bag off the other.… … Continue reading
