What happened in Washington D.C. last week? The constant drumbeat for impeachment continues and headlines the news. There are many topics, news relevant to parents and families to report. Congress has many issues that should be addressed for the people. On November 14th an event took place on the Washington…
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Celebrating America in Grade School
We settled in our seats to await the beginning of the evening program. We were in the elementary school multipurpose room. The fourth and fifth grade students marched in, led by their teachers, and found their place on the risers at the front of the room. One of the benefits…
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At Last a Child Spoke Truth
Hans Christian Anderson wrote fairy tales that I read as a child. Recently one of those stories has come to mind. In The Emperors New Clothes swindlers approach a self-indulgent King with a proposal. They have devised a very clever lie with their plot. They tell the King that the…
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Seeing God’s Artistry in the Fall Colors
My grandson and I were looking out of the dining room window at the trees. The leaves were changing color. “See the linden tree—the leaves are turning yellow.” My grandson said, “But look at that tree. Its leaves are bronze.” In the distance we could see a tree with orange…
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Learning and Teaching Patience
Patience is a virtue, worth cultivating in ourselves and our children. Some years ago I read an article by Pamela Druckerman that extolled the way French parents teach their children to wait. In her article, Why French Parents Are Superior, Druckerman pointed out that children who have learned patience are…
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Active & Steadfast Faith
So many things can cause me to worry—illness, divisive politics, concerns about friends and family, goals not met. Do I live in fear or do I hold fast to God with faith? The book of Joshua in the Old Testament lays out great examples of active faith. Today I was…
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A Call to People of Faith for the Sake of the Children
Attorney General Bill Barr gave a speech to the law school at the University of Notre Dame on October 11, 2019. In that speech he said: “For anyone who has a religious faith, by far the most important part of exercising that faith is the teaching of that religion to…
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One Sunday Morning in Albuquerque: Balloons and Roosters
The Balloon Festival in New Mexico is a great family activity. I was amazed to see so many people, so many family groups, strolling together at the Balloon Festival Park. It was a state fair like scene at 6:00 am. Parents were pushing strollers and pulling wagons as they walked…
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The Value of a Critique
It is so nice to receive compliments and to have the good opinion of others. It is something that I desire. But what about criticism? Recently I participated in leadership training. A coach critiqued the discussion that I led. For ten minutes I listened to the coach list things I…
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Success, Obedience and the Word
The women in our Bible study group were amazed (and amused) by the account of men being circumcised after they crossed the Jordan River and before taking possession of the promised land. We are studying the book of Joshua. God instructed Joshua to circumcise all the men that had not…