Holidays
The Spiritual Side of Christmas Consumerism
Does the effort to craft a magical Christmas morning teach us something about the heart of a Father seeking to bring endless joy to us all?
Jacob Z. Hess
December 25, 2023
Does the effort to craft a magical Christmas morning teach us something about the heart of a Father seeking to bring endless joy to us all?
A mother’s dilemma over dividing a candy cane reflects on fairness in life, exploring the complexities of justice and suggesting that true fairness is often elusive.
The Raising Family Podcast: “Resilience, Family, and Identity with Jenet Erickson” This enlightening episode welcomes guest Jenet Erickson, a Fellow at the Wheatley Institute and Associate Professor of Religious Education at BYU. Jenet’s research specializes in maternal and child wellbeing, and in this discussion, she illuminates the sacred roles of both mothers and fathers in child development. She explores how children’s emotional and physical growth is deeply influenced by bonding with both parents and delves into the development of identity within these familial bonds. Jenet also touches on the concept of resilience in children and how it can be both a strength and a challenge. The episode concludes with insights on finding joy and happiness in life by nurturing strong relationships within families and society.
All the boundary talk in America today can clearly do some good. Are there some unintended effects it also might be having on family relationships?
The world’s getting angrier and colder. We were struck by how diverse families cultivate humility through religious practices.
However popular it’s become to portray parents concerned about sexualized scenes in books as somehow secretly motivated by bigotry and racism, it’s simply not true.
Lots of families are hurting—with plenty of strained relationships between parents and children. Could a little more humility help us all?
It’s increasingly common to hear people point towards laws compelling reporting as the answer to our child abuse crisis. Yet the research doesn’t back this up – highlighting a number of complications that need more attention.
There is wisdom in holding space for competing important priorities, while seeking contextual cues in difficult matters to discern the right course. Let’s not confuse that with being “lukewarm.”
We need to carefully weigh the complex factors that put children at risk of abuse against satisfying narratives of institutional treachery.
The nationwide experiment in widespread elective abortion is coming to an end. As we try to newly establish a pro-life culture, we will need to expect more from both mothers and fathers.
The problem is not that masculinity is toxic. The problem is that we have abandoned the heroic and noble masculine virtues that the world so desperately needs today.