harry@harrylucenay.com 11113 Big Canoe, Big Canoe, GA 30143, USA
man hanging somewhere

Everyone Has to Be Somewhere

“Everyone has to be somewhere. I’m here, and it’s okay.” My friend, Dr. Ralph M. Smith, earned the right to say those words. He battled Guillain-Barre Syndrome for 13 months, beginning one night when he fell beside his bed. Within hours he found himself trapped in a body over which he had no control. Aware of everything taking place around him, yet he found his abilities reduced to opening and closing his eyes. Only after overcoming the neurological syndrome did he tell his story in You Can’t Fall Off the Floor.  

COVID-19 migrant workers going home

COVID-19 in the Majority World

Friends in Asia speak of rising numbers of people facing effects of COVID-19. This morning, one friend in India spoke of people in his area coming out of their houses in hopes of finding some food to survive. Masks and hand sterilizer fall well below the need for clean water and a handful of rice. Another friend spoke of 1000 new cases a day in Singapore (where the tropical heat has not eliminated the virus).

Connections with children

Connections Matter in Relationships

Making connections with children requires getting into their world. In our shelter-in-place atmosphere, a typical result of close togetherness is stress. Changing study habits to e-learning, being unable to mix with friends, and being forced to stay home increase kids’ stressors. Adult pressures with relationships, economic factors, daily needs, and fears add to the challenges. Put it all together, and temperamental fuses are easy to light. Think about approaches to communication that subdue the hornets’ nest in our midst.

when children cause trouble

Trouble Requires a Response

What is your first reaction when someone does something wrong? I’m afraid I am quick to forget a verse in 1 Corinthians that I memorized as a youngster. “Love does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in right” (13:6, RSV). As I think about families told to stay home and children not attending school or church, I see the potential for trouble. I well remember pointing out the missteps of my brother and sisters. However, I didn’t enjoy my children doing the same any more than my mom did when I was guilty.