Little boys love airplanes. Give a boy a paper plane, and he’ll zip it through the air—“Zoom! Zoom!” Hear an airplane overhead, and he’ll point and squeal. To most children, airplanes mean excitement and adventure. But not for hurting Ukrainian children like Sergi*. When 4-year-old Sergi hears an airplane, he… Read More
Kiho*, a ten-year-old boy from eastern Uganda, sat speechless in a small classroom. Facilitators of a Bible-based trauma healing session—organized for young victims of disaster and abuse—smiled next to him. The facilitators could tell he had something to say. They just didn’t know how to reach him. Eventually, Kiho burst… Read More
Mina clapped his hands, belted the lyrics of a children’s song and watched as Kingo, a costumed lion, flew past him on a scooter. His Sunday school students jumped into the action, mimicking the lion as he leapt off the scooter and began to sing. On this particular day, Mina… Read More
Guilt is always waiting. When I let down my guard or my mind wanders, there it is. Something I did wrong. Something I should be doing right now. I recently saw a study reporting that men who are married with children are more socially stable and… Read More
I’ve only been a mom for four years—but that doesn’t stop me from worrying about my children’s future. I constantly wonder what the next decade, or even the next year, will hold for them. What profession will they pursue? Will they be able to sustain themselves financially? Will they… Read More
I sat in church this Mother’s Day and listened to a panel of mom’s talk about their motherly traditions. They discussed how they eat family breakfasts and pray over each other. But as precious as these customs sounded, I left church feeling like a worse mother than when… Read More
I always had a vision in my head of the type of mother I would become. I would have the patience of a saint, tell elaborate bedtime stories and whip-up homemade everything. In my spare time (ha!), I’d head up the PTA, hustle Girl Scout cookies, scream the loudest… Read More
My 9-year-old son is an old soul. He spends birthday money on office supplies. He gets excited about e-books. He recently received his own business cards as a gift, and it was like Christmas all over again. But despite his maturity, he’s growing up in a generation that… Read More
Parent-child relationships can be extremely rewarding and extraordinarily challenging. (Often, they are both at the same time!) Whether you are the parent or the child, 16-years old or 61-years young, you have to love and guide, give care and receive help, discipline wrongdoing and admit when you’re wrong. Read More
Maria had nothing to live for. The 16-year-old from Bolivia was tired of the abuse from her uncle and cousin. She was tired of the pain, the fear, and the emptiness inside. But Maria had a plan. “I decided to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge,” she… Read More
