Culture Shock

Many of those who know my wife Petra wonder why her husband is the one with the blog. She is the more opinionated of the two of us, can usually (ok, always) construct a better argument, and she's incredibly creative and dedicated - all characteristics of people who write great blogs. Well, now there's proof. She was asked to guest write for whenyourise.com  - a blog whose creator is passionate about helping children fall in love with their Savior.  Petra's post  is about the most important thing in parenting. It's good. And so is the blog. Take some time to check it out. 

(Photo by: Jeremy Bohall "Ribbit...ribbit...ribbit!...Daddy, what does a butterfly say?" Enoh was engaged in the processes of learning and teaching. Prompted by the animals on Emily's walker, he tried to teach her the sounds he knew while asking me about the ones he didn't know. "I'm not sure what a butterfly says, Enoh" I told him.  Undeterred, he quickly relayed the information to his favorite pupil. "We don't know what a butterfly says, Emily," he explained sympathetically. As a teacher, there were a few things I was reminded of as I watched him: 1. I teach best when I have recently learned something I am excited about. 2. There is probably no one who benefits more from a lesson I prepare than myself. So why not prepare the best I can? Then, there's a good chance the excitement and hard work will rub off on a student. 3. In one way or another, shouldn't we always be a part of both of these processes? Shouldn't...

For some reason, my boys take greater delight in eating their fruit when they each have a cow watching them.

Our two year old, Enoh, is close to being potty trained.  But he's not quite there yet.  So every opportunity I have to help him remember to go to the bathroom is a valuable one.  For example, today, after his nap I said: "Enoh, what's the first thing we have to do after our nap?" After pausing to rub his eyes, he responded with enthusiasm: "Wake up!" Unable to correct him, I laughed and admitted his answer was better than the one for which I had devised the question.  As I sat and waited for him to finish his business I began to think about the implications his response had on my life.  So I went to the revelation of Truth itself and found this written in Paul's letter to the church in Ephesus: "Wake up sleeper..." As a strong believer in the fact that there's "no text without context" I backed up a bit to find out what it was that Paul was getting at here.  He's talking about being visible.  How are we supposed to be v...

My parents are good parents.  The older I've become, the more I've realized that fact.  Having children made me realize that fact.  Observing other parents made me realize that fact.  But rather than listing all the things my parents have done right, I want to zero in on the thing they have done right. That thing, though certainly not a secret, is often a mystery for parents - even Christian parents.  Miroslav Volf, in an article called Will My Son Be a Christian?  wondered aloud: I'd almost rather [my son] be no Christian than an indifferent Christian, or, even worse, a zealous Christian manipulating faith to promote his own selfish ends.  But I want him to embrace Christianity as a faith by which to live and for which to die.  But how do I pass on that kind of faith? After describing the fear he had in letting his faith "dribble away" as he tried his best to pass it on, and after pondering several solutions, Dr. Volf recalls: Then...