Courage

Movie Review: 12 Strong
“Nineteen men attacked our country. The twelve of you are the first to fight back.” 12 Strong is the story of the Army Special Forces team which dropped into northern Afghanistan 39 days after 9/11, our first military response to bin Ladin's terrorist network. Their mission was to link up with an Afghan commander named General…
Why Luther is Important for My Kids
Our family makes a point this time of year to talk about the courage of Martin Luther, but there are reasons beyond a spirit of “Yaaaay, TEAM! Go, Protestants, go!” There are some serious lessons that we want our children to absorb from Luther’s life, and they’re not Protestant-vs-Catholic talking points – they apply to…
Civil War Hero’s Sword Recovered
Recently some of his family members discovered the long-missing sword of Col. Robert Gould Shaw, the commander of the first African-American regiment in the Civil War, the 54th Massachusetts. Historians matched the serial number on the blade and confirmed that this really is the sword he carried in the assault on Fort Wagner, S.C., where…
The Power of Pressing On Anyway
One of our sons called home from college and mentioned an introductory course he was taking in a foreign language. He had gone to the professor and asked him to call on him more often in class, because his spoken language wasn't very good yet and he wanted to get better. It's a refreshing thing to…
Putting Faith in Shoe Leather
Our son Matt takes the blog today: I know that God can, has, and will take care of us. I have seen the healing hand of God protecting and providing for us through every heartbeat, every breath, every moment, every day of the year. I know that God will be our strength, our fortress, our…
Risk and Reward
Most of us have been frustrated at some time or another by our boy's love of risk-taking and adventure. They seem to do the craziest things and seldom think enough about them first. As a mom, I want to protect them and coddle them and keep them completely safe. What they need, though, is balance!…
A New Look at War
"Can I talk to you privately?" It wasn't an unusual request, so I stepped aside with her. "I need to ask you about my son. I think he may be...I'm afraid he might be...showing some tendencies toward being...Oh, I think something's wrong with him! Maybe he's a psychopath or something!" My eyebrows went up. "What…
Down in the Dumps?
"To his son Custis, a cadet at West Point, Lee once wrote: 'Shake off those gloomy feelings. Drive them away. Fix your mind and pleasures upon what is before you. ... All is bright if you will think it so. All is happy if you will make it so. Do not dream. It is too…
The Two Sides of Strength
We love football. Growing up as the children of Clemson grads, you hardly have a choice. Football is the king of sports around here. Everyone was delighted when our friend Earl Pendleton started up the Homeschool Football League. Everyone, that is, except me. I was afraid, I said, they'd scramble their brains. I said they…
The Door Swings Wide in the Treacherous Borderlands of Mexico
We love to see the manly virtues played out in real life! Yesterday, we wrote in a Facebook note and shared the story of our courageous friend, missionary Mike Richardson and his determination to overcome fear to bring the gospel to those living in one of the most dangerous places on our continent - the…