So your kid comes up to you and asks, “Dad, how do we know there’s a God?” And you . . . freeze. You say something like “Because I believe there’s a God,” or “We just know,” or “Because there is,” or “Because the Bible says God exists.” Then your kid does what every kid does: he asks…
So there we were, standing on a sidewalk in the middle of downtown Gatlinburg, Tennessee. A couple in their mid-thirties with three kids ages 5, 8 and 10 struggling to have fun and enjoy a vacation together. It wasn’t happening. People were passing us on either side much like water going around a rock in…
Some of my earliest memories are anchored in the sensations that accompanied our family’s Easter observances. Scratchy petticoats under new spring dresses. Bonnet straps tied too tight under the chin. The tickling ruffles of white anklets and toes crammed into shiny new Mary Janes. The smell of ammonia rising from Dad’s urinal zipped into the…
Remember that one time when you swore you’d never grow up to be one of those parents who used “Because I said so” as a defense for discipline? Remember that time not too long ago when you said those exact words to your kids thirty-seven times in one day? Yeah. Me, too. Discipline for me…
He’d been packed and ready to go for weeks—just like the chipmunks stockpiling nuts in my flower containers for the winter. Joey was ready to join Aunt Susie at Lakeside for a fun weekend of shuffleboard, relaxation, and fun! In perfect timing, his bedroom was needed for a houseguest. As my daughters and I finished…
Posted by Sherry Surratt | We’re miles apart connected through cell phones, but the smile I feel in her voice sinks into my bones. With me, through moves across the country, career changes, moments when I was feeling sorry for myself, and times I needed to celebrate, Sibyl always had the words that hit the…
I woke up the other day completely exhausted emotionally and physically. I had one of those days where my body, mind, and soul were just so weary and tired. Have you ever had one of those days? Have you ever felt hopeless? Have you ever felt like just giving it all up? I…
I am a bit of a control freak. Shhhhh. Don’t tell my family I have admitted to this teensy flaw. Just because I like things to go my way a good deal of the time doesn’t mean I’m controlling. I’m just usually right, right? (This makes sense in my head.) So when it comes to illness…
Posted by Sherry Surratt | I can still picture my daughter Brittainy as a bright, talented sixth grader. She could figure out technology with lightening speed, dribble a ball like it was attached to her hand with a string, and never so much as flinch when a soccer ball came straight at her head. With…
Thornton, Colorado, February 23, 2017. A heartwarming story broke of a teen inviting a peer with special needs to their school prom, replete with onlookers, flowers, and even serenading violins. It’s the kind of story we all love to hear. The two became friends as he volunteered in her gym class as a helper. His face…