Crazy Love. . . A Valentine’s Preview. . .
There was a father-son conversation that several times left me scratching my adolescent head. I kept coming back to my dad’s words over the course of my teenage years for the simple reason that they were so contrary to my…
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Only A Game? . . . Thoughts On What Spectating Tells Me About Me. . .
Last night I watched a panel of pundits on ESPN ponder and debate what’s going through the heart and mind of Nick Foles in the days leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl. Over the course of the last week, I’ve…
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Big Game. . . Big Marketing $. . . Big Ministry Opportunity. . .
Does marketing work? You bet! If it didn’t work, then why are companies willing to fork out $5 million for a 30-second commercial spot during this year’s Super Bowl? If you’re one of those parents or youth workers who plan…
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Kids, Cutting, and Self-Injury. . . And a Helpful Handout. . .
As a culture-watcher, I sometimes like to “rewind” as a way to gain perspective on just how much and how fast youth culture has changed. The practice serves to wake me up at times when familiarity with what was once…
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Kids And Self-Harm. . . A Helpful Infographic. . .
An epidemic. That’s what its become. It is now estimated that 105 of kids in the U.S. deliberately engage in self-harm. Far too many are cutting. I’ve blogged on cutting in the past. We’ve had a “Youth Culture Matters” podcast…
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Reminders For Parents Of Questioning Kids. . .
Yesterday I sat with a group of parents concerned. . . and rightly so. . . about the challenges they face in communicating the biblical narrative to their children and teens when the cultural narrative is so loud, so pervasive,…
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Dr. Larry Nassar. . . And A Culture of Enablers. . .
The story coming out of a Michigan courtroom this week is sobering, horrifying, and one that cannot be avoided. Dr. Larry Nassar’s systemic serial abuse of more young ladies than we probably know is frightening. More than 150 brave girls…
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Teen Suicide. . . Warning Signs (Part 4). . .
Here in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, our local paper regular publishes the Coroner’s Report. Last week, I spotted the November report and read it. Sixty-four deaths investigated. Many listed as “natural.” Others listed as “accidental.” Six were listed as “suicide.” Some…
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A Theology of Masturbation. . . Tackling One of the Toughest Questions. . .
Yes, we want our kids to ask questions about God’s good gift of sex, gender, and sexuality. We might not be well-prepared to answer their questions, but as many parents have said to me, “It’s easier for my kids to…
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Teen Suicide. . . Warning Signs (Part 3). . .
Kids who are considering the dark road of suicide will many times tip you off by giving signals and signs. The last two blog posts looked at the first two (emotional and physical) categories of signals and signs that we…
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Teen Suicide. . . Warning Signs (Part 2). . .
Teen suicide. . . the reality is sobering. It’s on the rise. And, we need to be aware. Certainly our response must be prophetic (instilling biblical hope and the reason for living in kids) and preventive (taking steps to build…
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Teen Suicide. . . Warning Signs (Part 1). . .
Last week we hunkered down in the CPYU studio to record a rather difficult yet necessary upcoming episode of our Youth Culture Matters podcast. We interviewed our good friend Marv Penner, tapping into his years of expertise in youth crisis…
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