A birthmother gives a beautiful gift after nine months
A guest post by Natalie Thomasmeyer (with Kim Keller) She wakes up with a perfect smile for me, and as it broadens, her eyes glisten with a radiance that takes my breath away. She’s […]
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How to Avoid Plagiarism: Get Your Own Damn Words
Get your own damn words.* That’s what was probably going through First Lady Michelle Obama’s head as she listened to Melania Trump’s speech Monday evening during the Republican National Convention. Melania, the wife of presumptive […]
I told my son not to be a police officer
I told my little boy not to be a police officer. May God forgive my selfishness. He’s only 12-years-old, but he’s had the heart of a warrior since he was a toddler. He also has the […]
Opt Out mom said NO to high stakes testing, now other parents follow her lead
The Chamness children attend public schools, but they’ve never taken a standardized test. The state of Texas says they’re supposed to do it, but mom Edy Chamness has refused to subject them to 24 hours […]
THIS quiz could save your teen driver
Driver’s Ed classes and the official state handbook don’t teach teen drivers everything they need to know about being behind the wheel. Your teen can still get a valid license without knowing a few important safety practices that […]
23 Quotes About Strength That Will Fortify Your Soul
All of us can all use a little encouragement that rebuilds our strength and fortifies our souls. Here are 23 great quotes that honor perseverance, courage and wisdom: 1) Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than […]
Feeling powerless with today’s politics and culture? Don’t let the loud voices silence you.
Loud opinions are rarely majority opinions. Nonetheless, they are the ones that seem to get the most attention. Is it because those opinions are the best ones? No, loud opinions are just loud. They get attention because they drown […]
When cancer returns; what your friends want you to know about their disease
The cancer has returned. Now the stakes are higher. The “what if” questions have been replaced by doctors saying, “We’re going to try.” Family and friends are confused, but they’ve been down this road before […]
How to choose the best punishment for your child’s B in math
A mom in Frisco, Texas recently took to social media asking for punishment suggestions for her second-grade daughter. The little girl earned a B in math, and Mom “didn’t want to send the message that […]
Who to contact when you need to stand up and speak out about an issue
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When it comes to standing up, being heard and making a difference, you need to know the right people. More specifically, you need to know how […]
Want to organize a successful boycott? Avoid these 4 pitfalls.
Skip the boycotts if you want to let a company you’re not happy with their actions; learn why they rarely work as planned and what you can do instead. Boycotts must work. After all, they […]
The RAI Diaries: 12 days of radioactivity and brain flatulence
She began the conversation with, “I have concerns…” Nothing good ever follows that preface; there’s never been a phone call conveying the message “I have concerns your parenting skills are causing your children to become […]
When cancer returns; what your friends want you to know about their disease
The cancer has returned. Now the stakes are higher. The “what if” questions have been replaced by doctors saying, “We’re going to try.” Family and friends are confused, but they’ve been down this road before […]
What professors really want you to know about college grades
The culmination of 15 weeks of higher learning is soon to be reflected in the form of a single letter. A, B, C, D or F. As we reach the end of the semester, some […]
How to let people know they matter to you
Knowing that we matter to someone else is a need we all share, and it brings a sense that we are valued, loved, known, included and wanted. However, sometimes it’s hard to let others know […]
Teach your children the truth about the terrorism in (insert location here)
They were too young to really understand what September 11 meant to the western world. They have no memories of watching hijacked passenger planes crash into the Twin Towers and Pentagon, nor do they have […]
Why Jesse Lee Peterson and half of all evangelicals are WRONG about depression
I appeared on Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson’s radio show a few weeks ago to talk about my recent post, “What your friends with depression want you to know, but are afraid to say,” and instead […]
Why demanding free PR work from bloggers is ethically wrong
Public relations is having a few relationship problems right now. Our relationships with bloggers are taking a hit because some practitioners are unhappy with the fact many of them won’t work pro bono on clients’ publicity/advertising needs. A recent […]
Kim Keller honored by Dallas Morning News
Kim Keller, the writer behind Real People Activism and Roadkill Goldfish, was voted Outstanding Community Voice Columnist of the Year by readers and other columnists of the Dallas Morning News. Here are a few of […]
What your friends with depression want you to know, but are afraid to say
People with depression do our best to hide it. We conceal thoughts no one can understand and no one wants to hear. We remain silent even though we feel like crying or screaming. We pretend nothing […]
What happens when families can’t afford the high costs of public schools?
Some families consider things like school supplies or class fees to be incidental expenses, but the very real costs of sending a child to a public school are putting some kids at a disadvantage. It’s time to […]
She bought coffee for the bullying broads who mocked her in line
It happens too often. And it sucks. You’re minding your own business when some smug Mean Girls start talking trash about you and picking you apart for what they perceive to be your physical flaws. […]
Livestrong at the YMCA rebuilds bodies and souls after cancer treatment
We are four survivors, and our bodies bear the scars of our struggles. One was cut across the throat. Another was sliced through her chest. The third still has an open hole that was once […]
The truth about living with thyroid cancer, the so-called good cancer
Imagine forgetting how to drive – while you’re in the middle of traffic. Follow that with muscle aches and fatigue – just a few hours after waking up. Lose patches of hair every time your […]
Bridget from cardholder services is stalking me.
Bridget from cardholder services is stalking me. She calls me two, sometimes three, times day with urgent news about my credit card account. If I hold the line for an operator, I can talk to […]
Police lives matter because our lives matter
Officer Sean Bolton’s life and death matter because he believed OUR lives matter. The Memphis police officer valued our lives enough to protect us and bravely confront the evil we like to pretend doesn’t exist. […]
What is it going to take to outrage folks about selling dead baby parts?
What’s it going to take to outrage Planned Parenthood supporters? When does it go too far? Selling mutilated baby parts for research is OK. How about selling them for nutritional supplements? There is no denying […]
You can’t tip a cow, but you can fling a cow chip
You can’t tip a cow, but you can throw a cow chip Life lessons you learn growing up in rural America “Have you ever tipped a cow?” No. Aside from being a cruel thing to […]
Boy writes amazing letter in honor of his mom’s birthday and cancer struggle
An 11-year-old boy knew his mom’s birthday was coming up, so he asked her what she’d like to receive as a present. “Make me something from your heart,” she replied. It been a rough year […]
Only 19 percent of Americans know the First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion
There are five freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment. One-third of Americans can’t name a single one. The annual “State of the First Amendment” by the Newseum Institute yet again revealed substantial ignorance about the […]
Gay marriage and the free exercise of faith should be able to exist side-by-side in America
The news and social landscape of the last few weeks have left me a little shell-shocked with so many people screaming at each other, and I simply can’t support the outrage narrative anymore. Half of […]
Monitoring apps for kids’ devices offer protection and peace of mind
Do parental monitoring apps violate your child’s online privacy? Spoiler alert: There is no such thing as online privacy. There was only one telephone in the house, and it was bolted to the kitchen wall. […]
Father’s Day? Nearly one-third of U.S. children grow up without them
Nearly one-third of American children have a difficult time celebrating Father’s Day. That’s because they’re growing up without their dads. The most recent figures from Pew Research indicate that in 2010, 27 percent of children […]
I glued my rear end and other pageant confessions
Her first words after receiving the crown were, “I don’t think everyone understands how important Miss MSU is.” The crowd collectively groaned. I was in that crowd back in 1991. We were witnesses to an […]
Texas kids shocked by scores on new math STAAR
Texas students received their STAAR reports earlier this week. It wasn’t good news, especially for elementary and middle school students whose math skills were tested based on the state’s new mathematics curriculum, which requires […]
Christians are now supporting Abercrombie and Fitch?
The ultraconservative American Family Association (AFA) is saying “thank you” to Abercrombie and Fitch and now considers the clothing retailer to be “family friendly.” Wait a minute. What just happened? The lovefest is due to […]
Common Core writing standards: Putting a roof on a house while the frame is going up
Writing and learning to write are processes. With Common Core, it’s an “all-at-once” approach. It’s like trying to put a roof and siding on a house while the frame is still going up. In a […]
Four R-rated movies today’s kids should see
I want my kids to watch R-rated movies. Let me explain before you go clutching pearls or putting me on prayer lists. During a recent mom discussion about movies, a mother of young teens exclaimed, […]
Mothers Day greetings aren’t enough; Happy Warrior Queen Day to all the mamas.
Dear fellow mom, I searched long and hard to find the perfect Mother’s Day card for you, but there was nothing that truly captured the real essence of what you do for your family. The […]
Emotional baggage from a parent’s alcoholism can sometimes be a blessing in disguise
Confession time. I carry around some heavy baggage. But I don’t travel. I have a few emotional suitcases stuffed with feelings about things that have happened to me, and unfortunately, lugging this crap around has […]
STAAR turns Spring into a parenting nightmare
April and May are the worst months to be a Texas parent. We’re expected to send our children off to two or more four-hour internments where they are forbidden to move, eat, drink or use […]