• Redemptive Relationships,  Relationships & Peacemaking

    Unconditionally and Unselfishly Committed to One Another

    From Tim Keller’s post, Living Stones—Intense Community: “… The Bible tells us we were built for covenantal relationships. We want and need to have other persons unconditionally, unselfishly committed to us, and we to them. Christian theology tells us we were made in the image of God, and that God is a Trinity. Jesus said he never did anything, said anything, or accomplished anything without his Father. The persons of the Trinity are absolutely one—each person does everything with the others. We were meant to live like that. Sin, of course, makes all human community difficult and at times painful. But it is suicidal to avoid all food just because…

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  • Child Protection / Abuse in the Church,  Surviving a Childhood of Neglect and Abuse

    Recovery from these situations progresses like a nuclear half-life at best …

    I breathe a little faster and gasp out prayers every time I read my friend, David Hogue’s, writings on his service to “the least of these” as a fellow Christian attorney. Please listen to his words and then consider getting involved with the CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates) organization in your local area: You may not be ready to foster or adopt right now, and you may not know anything about the law or courts or foster care, but that doesn’t mean you can’t help a child who desperately, desperately NEEDS help. Thanks and God bless you! Tara B.  PS My children don’t know one whit about any Kardashian and neither…

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  • Hope in Suffering,  Redeeming Church Conflicts,  Relationships & Peacemaking,  Surviving a Childhood of Neglect and Abuse

    Boundaries? Or Wisdom + Love? (Careful! You cannot raise these issues casually.)

    Since my current life situation is giving me some SERIOUS temptations to move in the direction of self-protection; and since I KNOW that any level of overly-self-focus is never a good thing, I turned to an oldie but goodie article this evening to help reorient my heart … Ed Welch’s (excellent!) writing on “Boundaries” in the Spring 2004 Journal of Biblical Counseling is a total keeper. I re-read it often and I thought you might enjoy a few of my notes too. Here are just a few highlights: – Even “Christian” books will encourage you to “set a personal boundary” and “just say no.” But is that how we should think about such…

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  • Eulogy for a Bad Mother,  Surviving a Childhood of Neglect and Abuse

    My Testimony on the “Radio” (available online) March 10-11, 2018

    I was just notified that my testimony will be aired again tomorrow and Sunday (March 10-11, 2018) on the “radio.” (What does one even call the “radio” that is on the internet now? I have no idea. But I think you can also listen on actual radios if you have this program in your location.) Here is the online link in case you would like to listen in: Our Daily Bread – Words to Live By – I am His Child ** PLEASE NOTE ** Although my mother and I were completely reconciled before her death, we had some challenging years in there, especially when I was little. (There is a reason…

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  • Momma Tara~Parenting

    Even a child who does a VERY bad thing CAN be forgiven! (What a weird thing to stumble onto this draft of a parenting blog I wrote 5+ YEARS ago!)

      It is March of 2018 and earlier today I was poking around my old blog entries, looking for one I had written on the topic of boundaries, when I stumbled onto this (never posted) DRAFT of a post about parenting one of my children from over six YEARS ago. Crazy! It felt like I was in a time warp as I read it. I’m going to redact the name because I don’t think it’s necessary to the content–but I’ll let Ella’s sweet photo from years ago stand because she is SO Ella-rific exuberant that whenever I see this photo, I think of PRAISING GOD and rejoicing in him. And that’s the foundation I…

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  • Hope in Suffering

    Never Say These Things to Someone Who is Suffering!

    Ed Welch taught me (and convicted me) AGAIN with his recent article over on the CCEF website: “More Things Not to Say to Those Who are Suffering” In it, he makes many great points, but let me just tempt you to read it all by sharing just a snippet: Here is something that I have heard a number of times on the ‘Not Helpful’ list. I have heard it often enough that it deserves to become part of our body of pastoral wisdom: Never say ‘If you need anything, please call me.’ Those who mentioned it didn’t say that the comment was meaningless to them, though it was. They said that…

  • Hope in Suffering

    How to help (really help!) when a family is in crisis …

    Back before Facebook, people grouped together through ancient things called discussion boards. A number of women and I used to meet online together to discuss topics related to biblical peacemaking, friendship, and redemptive relationships. We called ourselves the “PeaceGals” and one of my favorite friends in life was a founding member–Ruth Moran. Ruth was a brilliant, godly, loving wife, mother, teacher, and friend. She passed away after a valiant battle with cancer, but before she died, she honored us all with a list of things we should all learn to say when someone is in need. Rather than a generic, “I want to help!” or “Let me know if I can do…

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  • Redeeming Church Conflicts,  Redemptive Relationships

    The Covenantal Life: Appreciating the Beauty of Theology and Community (by Sarah Ivill)

      As an attorney and professional mediator, I deeply appreciate resources that help people to strengthen and enjoy community. As a seminary student, I delight in books the elucidate both philosophy and theology, especially covenant theology. But this tour de force from Sarah Ivill is the first book I have endorsed that perfectly illumines the way that “covenant theology leads to community life that is governed by the God of the covenant.” As you study this resource alone or in groups, I am confident that you will be well grounded in truth, and then equipped to graciously share that truth with others because, “theology is not just something we know; it…

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  • Redeeming Church Conflicts,  Redemptive Relationships

    “Brothers and sisters, let us pray!” — My Review and Endorsement of Megan Hill’s “Praying Together”

    I love beautiful prose and apt illustrations. When I book teaches me a new word (or two or three!), I know I am in for a treat. But my favorite thing of all about excellent Christian writing is when I forget the author and stop even noticing the beauty and wisdom of the words, because my heart is actively being drawn to meditate on the Triune God as revealed in Holy Scripture. And thus it is with Megan Hill’s, “Praying Together: The Priority and Privilege of Prayer in Our Homes, Communities, and Churches.” This is an excellent book on prayer that I endorse and recommend without hesitation. Unlike some of…

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  • Uncategorized

    From Garden to Glory (by Courtney Doctor)

    I just finished reading Courtney Doctor’s wonderful Bible study, From Garden to Glory, and I highly recommend it to you, especially if you are eager to introduce your women to an overview of the Bible as one glorious, cohesive story of redemption.   in Mississippi, Maryland, Tennessee, and Missouri … Courtney will be teaching us all about Jesus’ high priestly prayer in John 17 – “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” Amen & Amen! And thank you for your ministry for the Lord and his people, dear Courtney! 

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