Don’t quite know why, but I am always surprised when I realize a new friend was adopted as a child.  I guess I assume that everyone who was adopted has common features or characteristics. But that is really not true. And there is such a difference...

Not too long ago I announced my retirement from Stoneybrooke. I have one more year as the head of school and then it is time for “what’s next.” I have been giving that new life assignment quite a bit of thought the last few years. Along the way, I...

Life magazine used to have some amazing pictures. The spreads would depict everyday life in such a positive way. Families were nestled around the dinner table, couples looked longingly into each other’s eyes and grandparents showed their delight as...

Tomorrow we celebrate our independence. In June 1776, representatives from the 13 colonies met as the Continental Congress in order to consider our nation’s options. On July 2nd, they voted for independence from Great Britain. And two days later on...

Years ago, a teenager named Brian Moore wrote an essay on what he thought heaven will be like.  In part, he wrote: “In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. One wall was covered with small index card files. They...

About 15 years ago Disney pictures produced a fun movie called “Snow Dogs”.  It was the story of a successful suburban dentist who inherited a dogsled team and a rustic cabin up in Alaska. The movie humorously chronicled his attempts to master the...

A recent scientific study asserts that talking to yourself is really not a sign of madness, but rather it might indicate that you are “smarter than the average bear.” Truth is lots of us make fun of others who talk out loud to themselves. But the...

The other day, a prospective parent at Stoneybrooke asked me where I was from. He heard a “y all” in my conversation and assumed I was from the south. Truth be known, I think I have a southern British accent from the islands (Hawaii), reflecting...

Ever since I became a follower of Christ, I believed that the term “prodigal” (used in the story about the lost son in Luke 15) meant something like scoundrel or wayward child. I thought it carried the idea of a son “gone bad.” But I heard a...

We are all very familiar with many of the positive statements in I Corinthians 13. We know that love is patient, love is kind, and love believes all things and hopes all things. But I am convinced that many of us are not as familiar with the things...

I saw a headline the other day that deeply disturbed me, and not because of the political implications (heaven knows we are all bombarded with enough of that kind of input). But as an influencer of children, I was really concerned. The headline...

We live in a very fearful society. A glance at today’s headlines reveals why. Consider this one: “With every missile test, the leader of North Korea moves closer to his stated goal of a preemptive nuclear strike against American cities.” (Great!...