James Pence

A Deconstruction Observed, Pt. 16 I started this series on deconstruction around August of 2022, and it’s progressed in fits and starts since then. That’s partly because I always have a bunch of different irons in the fire and I tend to chase shiny objects. But that’s not the only reason. Another reason is that even now I’m still processing things. The main reason I’ve dragged this out for so long is because I really didn’t want to write about some of the elements of my story that would be more controversial. I dreaded the inevitable pushback I’d get online. …

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Hatred abounds in today’s world; much of it I can do nothing about. I don’t have the ability to bring peace between the Palestinians and Israelis. I don’t have the ability to end the war in Ukraine. I don’t have the ability to ease tensions with China. I don’t have the ability to solve the humanitarian crisis at our southern border. And I don’t have the ability to calm our turbulent political waters in this election year. That’s what I can’t do. So what …

As I stood outside the door of the room where my daughter and her bridesmaids had just finished dressing, the wedding coordinator cautioned me, “Don’t cry.” She opened the door. I cried. When I saw my daughter in her wedding dress for the first time, I lost it. Charlene looked at the ceiling and fanned her face to keep her makeup from running. The bridesmaids sang silly songs to distract us. I somehow managed to pull myself together and we made it down the aisle with no more tears, although we both had to tell each other, “We don’t need …