Coffee CubBuster

"My caution is that in our rush to defend equality, we assume sameness instead of equally valuable differences" (John Piper). Being raised by a strong, independent, and temporarily single mother gave be a strong sense of self. I'm thankful that I was taught equality, self-sufficiency and respect for cultural differences, but I may have missed the value in gender differences. As a mom of three, potentially four, boys, I see the world with new eyes. Many women today who are desiring respect in place of serving as visual trophies, actually dress in such provocative ways as to actually assume the symbol they are trying to escape.  We are believing a lie that altering our external appearance will gain us greater external beauty; ultimately it attracts the wrong kind of attention, taking away from our internal beauty. Moreover, differences in temperament shouldn't be ignored or eradicated because it negates a potential difference in relational intuition or gifted nouri...

I think when you are born with all of your five senses functioning properly and all digits and organs in tact, it's harder to trust someone's word at face value. Simply put: we want to see the oatmeal pack for ourselves. Let me explain...  My eldest son wakes up one of two ways: happy and excited, talking incessantly, or angry and quiet, snapping at everything he hears. The mode of transportation usually depends on his level of hunger. He'd be a perfect candidate for those "Snickers" commercials where the crazy person transforms back to normalcy after eating a snickers bar. The other morning, he happened to wake up extremely hungry. After trying to patiently get his oatmeal cooking (because I won't serve snickers for breakfast), he began to question if it was the "oatmeal with the most sugar in it?" (He has come to conclude that "low sugar" oatmeal doesn't taste as good---go figure.) I simply bit my tongue and said, "Yes, it's...

Everyone wants to feel they have something to add to the equation. Little Levi is getting a little better with his speech because he loves teaching his little brother things, and big brother Silas loves teaching everyone everything. However, I told Silas that he isn't allowed to get any older than five. "You have to stay five forever!" I insisted. This only fueled a sweet contest of laughter. Thankfully, Si-man hasn't quite learned the art of reverse psychology: assuring him that a lack of good nutrition and few hours of sound sleep would keep him from turning five, fueled his eating and sleeping before, during, and after his birthday! Why didn't I think of this sooner!? My favorite part of Silas' 5th birthday was not seeing him jump for joy before we visited his first amusement park, nor was it the delicious smile of gratitude for his Oreo, ice-cream pie. Nope, it was our first-mile walk together. No distractions, no toys, no screens, no agenda, no brotherly...

I know that "nothing new under the sun" exits, it just takes on different hues. Today, there seems to be a bright color for group mentality, riding the same wave, trekking along the same vein, or piggybacking on the same idea. For instance, #MeToo may have a deliberate connotation, and one that may help people, but it also helps fuel other gatherings like walk-outs, riots, and protests. I'm all for freedom of speech and personal rights, but I can't help but notice our love of camaraderie. Why is it that we are afraid to stand alone or stand out in a crowd? Sure there's the purple hair and obvious wardrobe soloist, but when it comes to anything quieter, others find offense in the awkward difference. Take Easter for instance-- I heard the other day someone say they heard that an Easter reenactment was a little "too religious." Really? Isn't it a religious holiday? Religiousness is definitely one of those areas where it is considered offensive to stand...