Empathy is the ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, imagine how they are feeling, to be concerned for them, and then to be stirred to action.(See The Empathy Effect by Dr. Helen Riess, MD) This is an essential skill for the Christian who seeks to live out the second great commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The easy way for empathy to grow is to experience the same...
And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11 NIV) Father’s Day is such a great day. It is a difficult day for me, but it is a great day. I love my dad Phil; he brings me so much joy. I long to be like him. I know he sins, and struggles, but he is an amazing dad. I just lost my father-in-law, George. I recently sat on my patio on a Zoom call...
It’s not always easy for men to be open and honest. Most of us were taught from an early age that openly expressing our feelings and sharing our struggles is not a particularly “manly” thing to do. We learn to hide who we are from an early age. This was highlighted during a study trip to the Georgia mountains when my wife Caron and I walked in the early mornings and evenings. We often saw lots of...
We can’t always win every game we play, even if we do our very best. There will be times when you won’t be the best at everything you do. You won’t succeed at everything you try. These are hard lessons to learn, especially when you’re a little kid. How can you help your child with their first taste of failure? One of the best ways is to let them see how you are growing in this area. You’ve...
“I miss you, too.” How many of us grandparents have found ourselves saying that way too often during this coronavirus pandemic? The hugs and kisses and snuggles are beginning to feel like distant memories. Will things ever return to the way they used to be? How can we grandparents be intentionally involved in the lives of our grandkids during this season of social distancing and sheltering in...
