Pastor's Wife - Small Town Life

In his young adult fantasy novel, Empire of Bones, ND Wilson describes what happens when a Dragon Spirit who inhabits the body of an ancient man is released from the chains that have bound it for centuries. This mythical god-man begins to draw people to himself as sacrifice. The dragon part of the man feeds on and is strengthened by the pain of mortals. If any humans are within his mental reach, he forces them to recall and replay all of the painful memories of their lives as though they were happening to them right then. Every painful memory is stabbed into their consciouses like a knife being twisted in a wound. Each memory is made to appear even worse than it was, and with even greater pain.  Eventually the painful memories break the will of the people and they beg for the decptive relief that the dragon promises. He gives them a type of peace, but it's a peace which steals their entire lives. He separates them from all the people who have ever hurt them (which ends up being eve...

My family and I have been enjoying watching musical theater over the last 12 years because of the influence of dear friends of ours - Aaron and Beth Alsmeyer. For several years, they directed a local high school homeschool troupe, and we became hooked on watching what they performed. When our kids were old enough to perform as well, they joined in. So we've enjoyed watching the likes of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Ben Hur", along with a play that Aaron and Beth wrote, "Esther". Last night, our family watched (and/or participated in) the world premier of a new musical, written and directed by Aaron and Beth, and produced by their company, Five Lanterns Productions. It is called "Leviathan the Musical" and is based on the story of George and the Dragon. Leviathan is a coming of age story - both of George growing up into a man, and also a coming of "spiritual" age as George fights the darkness in his own heart. The the story was poign...

  My husband and I have been parents for 23 years. During that time, we have had a consistent fight against electronics and screen time. We've had constant dialogue about what we allow our children to watch or not watch, how often they're allowed to watch, if they are allowed to own video games, how often they can play video games, and - now - if they can have smartphones, and how often they are allowed to be used. When our children were very young, the choices were different, but they were still there. Can he watch PBS while mom does dishes? Do we allow Barney into our home? We did allow them to watch, and it was always more than we wished it were.  As our children got older, the questions just grew. Should we have cable or not? When someone gave us a Nintendo set, we had to decide what to do with it. (After a few months, we got rid of we just didn't like the people that our children became as a result of it.) When our oldest was seven, we got rid of all electronics except...

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27 If you are active in the Christian blogoshere at all, you are aware of the hailstorm that John MacArthur brought down when he made a statement about Beth Moore a while back.   He said that she should "Go home."   John MacArthur believes, along with the vast majority of church leaders throughout history, that Scripture teaches that men are given the task of preaching and church leadership. Women are given important and honorable work to do - in the home and at church, but it is not the work of preaching and pastoring.   This is very clear in multiple places throughout the New Testament.   My purpose here isn't to recount all of those, but rather to point to a disturbing trend. Over the last 150 years (and more), there has been a subtle rebellion against the God who "created them male and female". This rebellion has often not ...

 "Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, ... infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana Why on earth would someone fight to keep racist books on children's bookshelves? Doesn't this act make that person a racist by extension? Have you seen Dr Seuss's racist images? Have you read how Ma from Little House talked about Native Americans? Have you watched Peter Pan singing about why Native Americans have red skin? For that matter, why would someone fight to keep statues of Southern generals in place? Don't you know they were fighting for the right to keep slaves? Why would someone fight to keep a slave owner's name on a street sign? The questions could and do go on. To our modern eyes and ears, anyone who would fight for these thi...

A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. Ecc 3:4 (ESV) Recently, there was conversation between my oldest son, 20, and a friend of his about why my husband and I discipline our children in a specific way. I got to thinking, and I believe that there are others who may have wondered the same thing - but without asking us directly about it.  Thoughts about that conversation have been milling about in my head for a few days, and I was wishing that I could share what our reasons are. Until I remembered - I have a blog! I can share my thoughts with the few souls still patient enough to be reading what I have to say.  Zach’s friend was expressing concern over the fact that Doug and I sometimes tell our children to stop crying.  (((GASP))) Now, please don’t stop reading and toss me out as a tyrant parent from the stone ages.  Let me assure you, it’s not as bad as it may sound.  In fact, how about I give you a scenario in ...

I've been reading, along with my church, through the Bible.  It is a blessing to read through the Bible together - as a family and as a church body.  There is accountability, encouragement, and some good discussions that take place when we are all on the same page.   This week, I have been in Esther.  Do you ever read a passage and really see it for the first time - even though you've read it many times before?  I had one of those moments when reading Esther 4:14.  Mordecai tells Esther, "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place ...and who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (ESV, emphasis added) Most of us are familiar with the story of Esther.  She is the Jewish girl chosen by the king to be his queen.  Then Haman, the king's advisor, decides he wants all the Jews annihilated - and gets the king to agree with him.  Esther's cousin, ...