Karen Farris

Karen Farris

Op-ed contributor

Karen Farris saw the need to help underserved kids while serving in a youth ministry that gave her the opportunity to visit rural schools on the Olympic Peninsula. She now volunteers her time grant writing to bring resources to kids in need. She also shares stories of faith in action for those needing a dose of hope on her weekly blog, Friday Tidings.www.fridaytidings.com

Latest

  • The jar and the season it holds

    The jar and the season it holds

    Three jars and three golf balls helped me visualize something I’d felt but didn’t quite understand. Grief is like the ball in each of the jars.

  • Chick flicks and the wasted time of romance fiction

    Chick flicks and the wasted time of romance fiction

    Being spiritually bankrupt is easier in a culture that offers stimulating and empty alternatives. Invest your time wisely and you’ll reap rewards now and eternally.

  • My promise to veterans

    My promise to veterans

    The young crowd kept chanting. The veteran looked at us and shook his head sadly. I will never forget his expression. He slowly walked away. The Army soldier hadn’t been defeated on a battlefield overseas; defeat had come on a leftist college campus in the nation he’d served. 

  • Aging without filters

    Aging without filters

    Older women are using Snapchat’s feature to create filtered images of themselves for social media. It’s amazing how many years can be erased with this free app filter. But this is self-objectifying, and we are becoming our own idol to worship. A filtered image isn’t who we are.

  • Sex, drugs and TikTok for kids

    Sex, drugs and TikTok for kids

    This is really who we are America. We don’t want our kids succumbing to porn addiction through phone apps. We don’t want our kids sex trafficked. We can be like Minnesota, and we must. It’s time for 49 more states to do the same.

  • Oregon’s educational reform should be a warning sign for our nation's schools

    Oregon’s educational reform should be a warning sign for our nation's schools

    We can do better America. We are pouring our tax dollars into our public schools. Let’s demand more and expect our school administrators to prioritize competency and literacy. It’s the only way we will prepare our graduates to face the demands of the 21st Century.

  • How parents can be a force for change in their children's schools

    How parents can be a force for change in their children's schools

    Our rural school district is not arguing about critical race theory. Nor are we battling comprehensive sex education. It’s not that those issues aren’t relevant in our small district, it’s that our community has surrounded the school with support that assures parents have a voice and some control over educational content.

  • Social media: Are you glorifying God or yourself?

    Social media: Are you glorifying God or yourself?

    But should we be more wary about our social media presence? Are we celebrating God-honoring things or are we boasting and promoting our own success? While we fashion perfect posts to elicit the right amount of positive feedback, are we not seeking a bit of envy in others?

  • Can Christian marriages save our nation?

    Can Christian marriages save our nation?

    Christian marriages can change the trajectory of our culture towards living faithfully, honorably, and loving well despite tough times.

  • For 2021 graduates: Life’s interruptions

    For 2021 graduates: Life’s interruptions

    I’d like to share a story about life’s interruptions with this year’s graduating seniors—who have lived an interrupted life.