Orlando. . . Initial Thoughts On Our Response. . .
I wasn’t in Orlando over the weekend. Most people weren’t. Those who were are now engaged in wading through the physical, emotional, and spiritual mess of facing another in our long and growing line of “ground zeros.” To be sure,…
Read More
Transgenderism. . . Our Conversation and Some Basic-Level Thoughts. . . .
Yesterday we recorded a conversation that we’re planning to share with you sometime next week. I’ve had so many of these stimulating and helpful conversations over the years that we decided that it might be helpful to others if we’d…
Read More
Muhammad Ali. . . Processing Smiles and Grief. . . .
“List the five most memorable pop culture icons from your childhood.” Nobody ever gave me that task. But if they did, putting together my list would take little or no thought. As a kid who went through elementary and junior high…
Read More
Rebuked By Adele! . . . Putting Our Phones Down And Seeing Life. . .
Did you happen to catch a perturbed Adele’s interaction with a fan at her Sunday night concert in Verona, Italy? She called out a woman who was filming the show. And the woman wasn’t the only person watching the show…
Read More
A 4-Year-Old, A Gorilla, and Us. . . .
A four-year-old child and a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. It’s quite telling that this is even a discussion. What it’s quite telling about is who we are as a culture and what we value when it comes to life.…
Read More
Body Image Issues. . . A Helpful Infographic. . .
No, it’s not just the girls. Yes, it seems like it used to be. But in recent years, a growing number of boys and men have fallen victim to body image issues and disordered eating. That shouldn’t be at all…
Read More
Monotonous Formulated Musical Foreplay. . . The Billboard Music Awards. . .
Culture is a map and a mirror. That’s a mantra of ours here at the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding. As a map, it defines life. It tells us what to believe and how to behave. As a mirror, it reflects back to…
Read More
Their Hurt Is Real. . . .
Last weekend I took some time to ponder this large display that had been set up where Marv Penner and I were presenting our “Tackling The Tough Stuff” seminar. We were in Longview, Washington. The youth ministry crew that brought…
Read More
A Powerful Reality To Start Your Week. . .
I’m on my way home from a wonderful yet difficult weekend spent in Longview, Washington. Thanks to my friend Chris Lyons and his team in the Longview community, Marv Penner and I were able to spend yesterday presenting our “Tackling The…
Read More
Youth Workers, Pastors, Churches. . . And The Misuse of Authority. . .
This week I’ve had several conversations with youth workers who are struggling with authority issues in their ministry settings. The conversations have been frustrating. When I’m on the listening end of these stories, I typically default very quickly to a…
Read More
“Scripts”. . . This Year’s Commencement Address. . .
We’re in graduation season. This week, I’ve been thinking quite a bit about the institutions, faculty, and friends who shaped my life. Both my undergraduate college (Geneva College) and seminary (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) are holding graduation exercises this weekend. I…
Read More
The Fluidity of Identity in Today’s World. . . A Thought-Provoking Video. . .
A friend sent me a link to this video yesterday. I understand it’s been around for a few days so my apologies for getting to it perhaps a little late. I found it incredibly enlightening and incredibly disturbing at the…
Read More