• Redeeming Church Conflicts,  Relationships & Peacemaking

    People are lured into church by hearing the language of intimacy and authenticity …

    From one of my favorite books published this year … William P. Smith’s Loving Well Even If You Haven’t Been: “People are lured into church by hearing the language of intimacy, authenticity, and genuineness, but when they experience their absence, they are left feeling even more hurt than before.  They had hoped finally to find a safe place where they could experience being loved, only to realize that Christians are not really all that good at it. Instead of being welcomed and embraced, often they can end up isolated and alone. So they walk away discouraged and cynical—with good reason.” [A re-post from 2012] 

    Comments Off on People are lured into church by hearing the language of intimacy and authenticity …
  • Logic for Children,  Rhetoric and Philosophy of Theology and Epistemology with an Emphasis on Worldview and Apologetics

    Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson

    Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson Oh my STARS! But I just LOVE this book! I first learned about Professor Johnson back in law school. (He was a University of California Berkeley Law Professor until he suffered a series of strokes back in 2001.) I heard him speak at a Christian Legal Society Conference (he became a Christian later in life, I think in his forties, after he had been a tenured law professor for many years), and I was immediately impressed not only by his brilliance, but also by his humility and wry humor. I started reading his books at that conference and I’ve loved every one I’ve…

    Comments Off on Darwin on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson
  • Grace in Daily Life,  Perfectionism & Shame,  Redemptive Relationships

    I can move forward in love for others and not be so devastated by others’ (de)valuation of me because of Christ.

    I take absolutely no pleasure in the suffering of my friends—so I was brought to my knees this past week when I learned how deeply and terribly my dearest sister in Christ was being hurt, not by unbelievers, but by Christians. Christians in her own church. Her own church leaders for whom she has faithfully prayed and submitted to (with joy) for years and years! How is it possible that   It made me mad. It made me sick. It drove me to pray—so that’s one good thing. Plus! I’m getting to email more with my friend, which I love. Although the topics are still making me pretty sick to…

  • 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…

    Comments Off on Unconditionally and Unselfishly Committed to One Another
  • 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…

    Comments Off on Recovery from these situations progresses like a nuclear half-life at best …
  • 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…

    Comments Off on Boundaries? Or Wisdom + Love? (Careful! You cannot raise these issues casually.)
  • 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…

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

    Comments Off on 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!)
  • 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…

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