It was the Great Homeschool Takedown of 2011. The yearly homeschool convention was a mix of returning speakers and new voices, from a variety of perspectives. And this is what got us all into trouble. One of the fixtures of the convention learned that a certain new speaker had been invited, a person who happened … More Being Loving is More Important than Being Right.
I spent the summer underground. Not literally, but it felt like it. Have you ever had a time where you’ve felt breathlessly busy but when asked to tell what you’ve been up to, you couldn’t really say? The days rush by in a blur but at the end of them you have trouble quantifying what you’ve … More Underground Summer
When I was a kid, the school playground was the most gender-segregated place in my world. The girls would make use of the swings, or gather near the building to chat, while the boys would run to the grassy field for a game of kickball or baseball. Except for the “tomboys”. These girls ran alongside … More The Gender Question
Today I signed up on one of those meal trains that schedules food for friends in need. It’s only early March, but this is probably the 6th time since January that I’ll be trotting a shiny disposable pan of home-cooked comfort to someone who has had a baby, or an accident, or surgery, or some … More On Generosity
I have never wanted to save the world. My friend Amy Peterson did. In her new book, Dangerous Territory: My Misguided Quest to Save the World, Amy tells of her time as a missionary in a country so hostile to the Christian faith that to this day she cannot reveal its location for fear of … More Saving My Corner
She didn’t answer my email. We were co-leading a project; she had emailed an idea full of passion and depth which I felt was not the direction we needed to go. I had replied as kindly and respectfully as I could, or so I thought. Maybe she was mad. Probably she was hurt. Ideas are … More The God Who Disappoints Me
Your days are numbered… While scrolling through the grab bag of rambling, rant and regurgitation that is Facebook, I came across a Bible verse that caught my eye. Perhaps it was a bit more graphically interesting than the prettied-up Scripture memes in my feed. Or maybe it sounded like it came straight from a gangster … More Numbering Our Days
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us… Flesh. Human skin on a body of blood and bone. This is what Jesus was. What does it mean that He called Himself Son of Man? That He pushed His divinity down into a baby-sized package and grew up as a human? I’ve heard entire sermons … More The Humanity of Jesus
Dear Henry, If you were here, you’d be churning out papers and studying for exams. I’d be making you whatever cake you wanted. You would have picked out your birthday meal – you’d have spent a lot of time on that decision because we Ollers take our food seriously – and your siblings would come … More Happy Birthday, Henry
I’m working on changing the way I talk. As much as I’d love to resurrect the New York accent of m y childhood, that’s not what I mean. What happened was that I started listening to myself when I pray. Have you ever noticed that evangelicals have a language all our own? We throw around … More Why I Changed the Way I Talk
a beautiful word 