After a foot surgery last week, I was forced to lie in bed for several days and hope family life moved smoothly on without me at the helm. It was a strange place for any mother to be—sitting vulnerably on the sidelines (or in this case, her upstairs bedroom and crossing her fingers the…
I have a great dad. Growing up, my dad made sure we kids had everything we needed. He checked our tires, gas tanks, bank accounts, the weather—anything he thought might interfere with a smooth day. He asked questions. He worried. He got angry. He said he was sorry. He was engaged. (In fact, we…
I hold affection for nighttime power outages. Something about losing light and noise generated outside our home has always excited me. In fact, whenever that breaker gives way, my husband and children know what follows. We light a room with a handful of candles, gather into it (sleeping bags and all), and then enjoy…
For years, committed Christians such as myself have felt increasingly helpless in the midst of America’s shifting political landscape. We have watched political leaders from both sides of the aisle behave like children fighting over backyard toys, and thanks to social media, have witnessed relentless public square bullying intended to quiet traditional religious belief…
Upon my mother’s recent death, my siblings and I had the opportunity to revisit my childhood home and its many memories. One such memory was of a certain picture that hung prominently in our basement with an old adage: “A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.” It was a belief my mother,…
I’ve recently found myself tongue-tied and astonished. Astonished to see women rallying together in the name of “femininity” or “womanhood” but intentionally distorting the very nature of that name. Yes, I’ve been astonished to watch celebrities such as Meryl Streep, Madonna, and Ashley Judd admonish leaders they believe obstruct the beauty and value of…
Forgive me if this post contains any grammatical or spelling errors. You see, I’m writing it from my iPhone, and I’m not particularly experienced in thumbing the keyboard for much more than a few scribbled notes no one but me sees. Typically, I rely on my computer–my only this-is-all-mine-in-our-crazy-family-of-seven-possession. But guess what? As I…
(The following is written in memory of Professor Charles Rice, who passed away on February 25, 2015, and whose influence continues to be felt in unassuming places.) It was my first day at Notre Dame Law School, and I was admittedly nervous. Having received my previous education entirely within the confines of Alabama, I…
Last Wednesday ABC’s television series Modern Family received the International Television Audience Award for Comedy at the 54th Monte-Carlo TV Festival, indicating that it has among the highest ratings worldwide. Anyone who has seen the show knows its story line centers upon three couples—one traditionally married, one divorced and remarried, and one homosexual. With…
“The month of December does not just belong to religion or Christianity.” Those were the words of Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Wisconsin-based Freedom from Religion Foundation—the organization responsible for erecting the letter A next to the nativity scene and Menorah in front of Chicago’s Daley Plaza this Christmas. Even though the Plaza’s…
Several months ago I took a sabbatical from my personal Facebook account and began contemplating deleting the account altogether. Although I would classify myself as someone who uses the social media powerhouse primarily for evangelism purposes, I noticed that the days I actually logged into Facebook left me feeling less than grace-filled. At…
Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE the Honda Odyssey mini van I bought two years ago after having our fourth child. While many parents forced into this almost-public transportation hold their heads in shame, I’ve not only held mine high but have actually basked in pride behind the wheel. Sliding car doors,…