How Christians Should Eat Meat

“You may eat meat whenever you have the desire.” Deuteronomy 12:20b Yep, that’s in the Bible. You may eat meat whenever you have the desire. After my last blog post, my father and brother were shocked and appalled. “Jarrod has gone vegetarian!” their text messages lamented. But let me set the record […]

What Granddaddy Shared with Me

Granddaddy was raised in a family that was not very affectionate. He did not often hear the words, “I love you,” growing up, and there wasn’t much tenderness in his family. When he married my grandmother and became a father, he had a lot to learn in that department. He often struggled to show his […]

Confession of an Introverted Parent

Today is my oldest daughter’s first day of Kindergarten, and I couldn’t be more excited. I’m excited because she’s excited. I’m excited because she goes to a great school and the teachers there do an absolutely fantastic job. I’m excited because she is going to learn so much and grow so much during this school […]

Teach the Children Well

“Dad, it’s really quiet out here. I love it when it’s quiet. I don’t like noisy places.” My five-year-old daughter is just like me. She doesn’t like noise. She doesn’t like crowds. She doesn’t like to hustle and bustle. She likes to get away, to a quiet place, a place where she can think, […]

Two Things I Learned Through My Medical Malady Mystery

The morning after Christmas I was standing in an airport terminal, waiting for my wife and kids to get back from getting coffee, when a thought occurred to me: I’m going to end up in the emergency room before this day is over. We were traveling to San Diego to spend some holiday time […]

Why Dad Does Hair

“Oh my goodness, your hair is so pretty! Did Mommy do that?” “No. Daddy did it.” I swell up every time. “Who did your hair this morning?” “Dad. He’s the hair guy.” You bet I am. “Is your hair shaped like a heart?” “It’s a heart braid. Daddy […]

Established: 1776

Anytime I see those stars, I remember that night. I was maybe four or five years old when my father took me out to show me the Big Dipper. We were at my grandparents’ house on the family farm, and it was dark and cloudless. I cannot say why he took me and my brother […]

A Filthy Place for Kids

On Palm Sunday of this year, my wife left me, and took the kids. Honestly, I’m the one who drove her away… all the way to Charlotte-Douglas airport, where they boarded a plane and flew to San Diego to spend Easter with her family, giving me that most rare and precious gift: solitude. My […]