What’s New
Me and My Dad
Nineteen years ago this day, my family was at a funeral home.More mourners than we expected came to say good-bye to my father, Harlan Stratton. The mourners spent long minutes studying the photographs that chronicled his life. "That's the way I remember him," each one...
Happy to Be Alive on this Fantastic Friday
Five years ago this month, I survived an exciting adventure on a snowy night. This Fantastic Friday celebrates the anniversary of an evening when God made clear that my work here on earth is not yet done. Though much has happened–good and bad–in the five years since,...
Chicken Tetrazinni, With Dairy and Without
For supper last week, I made chicken tetrazinni, a family favorite that can also be made with turkey, for the first time in a long time. After his first bite, the Man of Steel decided he wanted it made again for his birthday meal extravaganza to be held in a few...
Top 10 Reasons Spring Needs to Arrive Immediately if Not Sooner
This time of year, most Midwesterners are itching for spring, and I'm one of them. Here are ten reasons spring can't come soon enough. 10. Mom's It's-too-cold-to-go-out-to-eat-why-don't-you-go-pick-something-up-and-bring-it-here excuse will no longer hold water. 9. ...
Special Needs Family Camp Needs You!
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. Romans 15:1–2 Dad was 40 when he attended his first Easter Seals Camp. That was in the...
The Danger of Self-Diagnosis for a Fantastic Friday
This week I'm preparing to speak about mental illness at our church on Sunday. No wonder this post, written four years ago this month while doing research for a book on PTSD in children, caught my eye. This post is as apropos now as it was then. The Danger of...