Santa and Grief
A mere week after we held a small burial for Susan, it was Christmas. We attended Christmas Eve children’s mass as usual. After service,...
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The Upside Down World ~ The Blog
- Nov 22, 2016
- 4 min
Thanksgiving Family Survival Guide – 2016 Edition
Such a pretty picture. Now imagine that they all hate each other. An oldie but a goody! BTW, if you read these and know exactly what I’m...
- Jun 12, 2014
- 8 min
Suffer Us Little Children
What parent doesn’t want to be a better parent to their kids? And what Christian doesn’t desperately wish to be truly humble? (OK, almost...
- Apr 16, 2014
- 3 min
Raising Moral Kids, Pt 1
I thought this was a great article in the NYT about what researchers have to say about raising moral kids. A lot of it is stuff we all...
- Apr 10, 2014
- 4 min
My Amazing Discipline Trick!
One of these days, I’ll have to tell you about my oldest son Noah. He was really something. Even my mom didn’t want to watch him. And she...
- Apr 9, 2014
- 2 min
Great Power and Petty Beligerance
Yesterday, I wrote about how the changing role and nature of authority in our lives demands that we change the way we parent our kids....
- Mar 26, 2014
- 5 min
God and Laughing
God loves laughter. Humor makes us laugh because it triggers delighted surprise to hear that things we fear – being alone, being unloved,...
- Feb 28, 2013
- 3 min
“Love isn’t a feeling . . . It’s an ability”
One of the things that is both frustrating and fascinating to me is how bad we tend to be at loving. We really think we love people even...
- Feb 14, 2013
- 4 min
Love – A Checklist
Everyone likes to think that they are good at loving. After all, we have really strong, loving emotions so surely we must be very loving...
- Jan 15, 2013
- 3 min
Wrestling Hope
“Totally without hope one cannot live. To live without hope is to cease to live. Hell is hopelessness. It is no accident that above the...
- Dec 29, 2012
- 7 min
Do Your Kids Know Their Own Story?
I’m having some trouble writing at the moment, so in honor of my daughter Olivia’s 3rd birthday, here’s a repeat which ends with the...
- Dec 17, 2012
- 4 min
Santa and Grief
I had every intention of posting some interesting theological ideas I have with y’all today, but I’m just not feeling it. So instead, I’d...
- Nov 20, 2012
- 4 min
Thanksgiving Family Survival Guide
An oldie but a goody! BTW, I have something you’re going to love in the works for y’all. If you enjoy the advice I share here, you’re...
- Sep 28, 2012
- 4 min
PMS, Reinterpreted
Do women tend to have higher natural emotional intelligence (EQ) than men? Most people think so although research hasn’t settled the...
- May 16, 2012
- 2 min
The Prodigal Son – The Hangover Edition
Have you ever wondered what happened in the household of the prodigal son after the party was over? The father has accepted him home,...
- Mar 23, 2012
- 5 min
Hi. Remember Me?
Ugh, I’ve been struggling to figure out how to write this post for several days, but no clever ideas have come to me so I suppose I may...
- Jan 19, 2012
- 7 min
Do Your Kids Know Their Own Story?
Trotter children are immediately identifiable by their curly hair Each of my children has a story we tell them about some way in which...
- Dec 7, 2011
- 1 min
What sort of garden do you grow?
That is what is at stake as we parent: will we send a healthy, thriving plant out into the world? Or will we be sending out an artichoke...
- Nov 23, 2011
- 3 min
Thanksgiving Family Survival Guide
1. Develop an Appreciation for the Absurd: My grandmother once had to be dragged away by a horrified aunt from her very concerned...
- Nov 19, 2011
- 4 min
Homework in kindergarten
An example of my 1st grader's homework So, I have my kids in the local public schools which has real drawbacks and benefits. One of the...
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