Lauren Green McAfee has an infectious laugh and is so easy to talk to. You'd never guess the turmoil she's been through in the past year. The grand-daughter of David Green, the founder of Hobby Lobby, she was born into an incredible family. But when she and her husband decided to start a family, things didn't go as planned. They began with the process of adoption, having no idea it would take 7 years to meet their daughter. After so many years of dealing with the adoption process, they finally brought their daughter, Zion, home. Shockingly, within weeks, they discovered Zion had a rare, childhood cancer that would require immediate attention. Thankfully, Zion is now in remission, but the experience was shocking, scary and a … [Read more...]
Out of Africa: Rachel Pieh Jones’ Fascinating Life in Djbouti
Rachel Pieh Jones has a very cool life -- and it's almost hard to believe. The mom of three moved to Somalia years ago with her husband and three-year-old twins, for her husband's job at a university. Soon after, the family moved to Djbouti and Rachel gave birth to her third child in a pretty dangerous scenario where no healthcare would be available if anything went wrong. She ended up writing about that birthing experience for the New York Times and has since made a long, happy life in the Third World. From the Horn of Africa, Rachel has written an incredible book, run the Somalia marathon and started a running club for girls to encourage them to stay in school. She's raised her children and offered up valuable perspective … [Read more...]
Coronavirus: When We Look Back, Remember the Humanity
The Coronavirus will live in our memories for a lifetime. I am pre-fascinated by the analytical reports and cultural commentaries that will emerge based on an unpredictable worldwide epidemic. What will it say about our communities, our humanity, our assumptions and biases? What will it say about our churches and our government, our healthcare and our human fragility? Weeks ago, we’d never have believed the NBA would be cancelled, colleges would be shut down, public schools would be closed indefinitely. That the stock market would tank, families who rely on hourly work and have no childcare would be in dire straits and the sick and elderly would be terrified, relegated to their homes. The nursing homes are quarantine … [Read more...]
The Blessing: How A New Worship Song Speaks to Parents Everywhere
The new song, "The Blessing" from Kari Jobe and Elevation Worship, is that for me right now. Released just 6 days ago, the video has over 1.5 million views and trust me, you want to watch the video. As a parent, the song resonated even more deeply, given it's intentional focus on blessing the next generation and beyond. Worship is best with others I've heard corporate worship -- especially in a massive stadium like this -- compared to a drug. Culture writer Jia Tolentino wrote that drugs and religion "both provide a path toward transcendence, a way of accessing an extra-human world of rapture and pardon." And, of course, Marx famous called religion "the opiate of the masses." Whatever higher minds think about it, a sober high is … [Read more...]
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