Category: Family & Education

A Mother’s Quest to Save Her Daughter from Gender Surgery

“A wonderful, smart young woman” with a beautiful singing voice. That’s how Julie describes her 19-year-old daughter Eileen. Four years ago, when her formerly “boy crazy” daughter announced that she wanted to have gender reassignment surgery, Julie was initially overwhelmed. Then she began “scouring the earth” to find help for Eileen. Julie embarked on a…


How to Eat Meat

In 2003, a remarkable article appeared in the journal Lipids, titled “Fat, fishing patterns, and health among the Bardi people of north Western Australia.” According to the authors, the Bardi people hunted and fished selectively in order to obtain meat and fish containing as much fat as possible. To the Bardi, foods lacking in fat were considered…


The Easy, Life-Giving Power of Gratitude

Research into gratitude has skyrocketed in the past 10 years, finding that a daily gratitude habit can have an enduring positive effect on our mental health, happiness, and physical well-being. An article in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology from 2003 looked at three different studies in which participants were asked to write down what…


The Courtroom of the Self

On a recent livestream, “America’s Labor Crisis,” co-host Mike Rowe commented, “The evidence demands a verdict.” He was discussing the workforce, but his words, sharp and hard as flint, hit me on a different level. What verdict does the evidence of our own lives yield? The day winds down, and some of us land in…


Proper Pup Etiquette

We like to think our pooches are very well-behaved, but how they behave in public, among strangers and other dogs, is the true test. Sit, Stay A properly trained pooch knows basic commands and, more importantly, obeys them while out and about. Knowing “sit, stay, come” at home is great, but immediately complying with these…


The Power of Narrative to Heal

Narrative is arguably the defining aspect of being human because narrative enables us to comprehend the world we live in; indeed, professor Brian Cox once wrote that “narrative may be regarded as a primary act of mind,” and physicist Frank Wilczek observed that “we humans are especially adapted to think in story and narrative.” While…


Giving Children a Voice: Katy Faust and Them Before Us

“I want my mom and dad to love me, and I want them to love each other.”—Jocie, aged 7 That sentence introduces visitors to the website of the organization, Them Before Us (TBU). “Jocie’s statement illustrates the universal human longing to be known and loved by the two people responsible for one’s existence,” the website…


6 Tips for Making the Most of Your Homeschool Convention Experience

It’s the most wonderful time of year for homeschoolers: homeschool convention season. It’s a time to peruse all the different homeschool curricula, connect with fellow homeschooling families, and listen to renowned veteran homeschool parents speak on a multitude of topics. Depending on where you live, you may be able to attend multiple conventions because the…


Dear Next Generation: Always Grow and Continue to Learn

I read with great interest the article by Frank Monti about advice for young people. I believe my life is very similar but with a different twist and would also be helpful to young people just starting their careers. I graduated from high school at 16 and college at 20. After college, I started as…


New App Helps Users Practice Their Faith

The use of social media and smartphones doesn’t have to be a bad habit. At the National Religious Broadcasters conference, co-founder of pray.com, Mike Lynn, spoke about a new app that has revolutionized how people pray. In a world that has become addicted to social media, the app’s creators believe they have found a healthy…