The Hovel

Over the past several years I have become aware of a growing conversation around the issue of independent bookstores. These are, as I’m sure you are aware, disappearing in the wake of larger book sellers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, who offer substantial discounts, free shipping, and easy payment options through their membership platforms. Small book sellers simply cannot compete with the pricing of their larger competitors, who buy in bulk and are able to undercut their small-scale counterparts…

What would you say if I told you that your life was perfect? You’d probably say something like: “You don’t know my life.” I know, I know. That’s what I’d probably say, too. But really, think about it. Where does this knee-jerk response come from? What ideas undergird our common denial? Let’s do a thought experiment and examine our presuppositions together. I’ll go first…

When I was engaged in my homeschooling efforts, I thought I had that wholeheartedness part down. I pushed and strove and worked diligently. But whether I did this “as to the Lord and not to please men,” well, that varied from day to day, from moment to moment. And in those moments when the fear of man drove me, the homeschooling project became a snare, an idol that threatened to devour me and my children…