Hope Beyond Failure
Rarely will one of God’s heroes show up in the Scriptures having lived a life free of failure. Take Peter, for example. As soon as you read the name, you remember his story. Peter experienced the extreme highs and lows of life—from days spent in blessed fellowship with Christ . . . to the heart-wrenching […]
What You Must Know about Fish Tanks and Church Fights
Jesus fed the five thousand with some loaves and a couple of small fish. Obviously I’m not Jesus, and I was ready to flush some small fish. Here’s how things went down: For Christmas, we purchased a simple, soothing 10-gallon fish tank for my son Jon. Nothing fancy, but from the packed tank they were […]
Winston
Philip Yancey wrote some time ago about a lifelong lesson he learned from a man named Winston. May the message move us to greater thoughtfulness as we live in community together. Here is the story of Winston as written by Philip Yancey.[ref]Adapted from Philip Yancey blog, “Winston,” posted September 17, 2015, http://philipyancey.com/winston. Copyright © by […]
Coming Clean on One of Life’s Core Issues
Alright, it’s time to come clean . . . I wish I had superpowers. The superpower to meet the expectations of others and be the perfect mother as well as a sexy, fun wife, excellent employee, and loving friend. The power to perfectly balance the responsibilities of four kids in college along with the needs […]
What Do You Look For?
When was the last time everything around you was quiet . . . as in silent? In a rare moment recently, my house was quiet. I chose to sit and carefully observe the room I was in—a number of emotions flooded my soul. My daughter’s art supplies rested by her canvas along with her iPod, […]
Love Is . . . Not What You Think
Here’s a doozy of a question for you: When did you first learn about love? I mean, not romantic or sexual love, love we read or sing about, love that makes us a little crazy in the head or makes the world go ʼround. I mean the love Jesus commanded in John 15:12–13; a love […]
Caves
There is purpose right where you are, although you may want to argue against such a statement. Whether raising a child with special needs, caring for an elderly parent, mentoring a suicidal teen, or enduring personal chronic pain, most will pass through a lonely tunnel which leads to what I call “The Cave.” Think of […]
A Toast to the New Year You Cannot Miss
It was pouring rain when I pulled the soggy mail from our cavernous brick mailbox. The stack felt like wet socks that missed the spin cycle in the washing machine. A glossy December magazine flopped on top. The teaser just under the title read “Go ahead: eat and never gain weight again!” Using the law […]
Harsh Wind: The Secret to Soaring When Life Kicks Hard
Life can be undeniably rugged. I was reminded of this while watching a reality show filmed in Alaska. The family homestead was in constant motion. Kids galore, parents, and grandparents were feeding animals, harvesting fields, storing up for winter’s blast, which was right around the corner. Certainly, no one was sittin’ round the campfire—it was […]
Five Holiday Hacks When You’re on The Hunt
I stumbled over my shopping cart last Saturday when I saw shelves competing for my retail attention—beautifully displayed decorations for every national holiday between Christmas and Fourth of July. How do they do it? I keep believing I’ll be prepared for the next season of life—just like the local craft stores . . . Hobby […]
A Gift Too Wonderful for Words
Long ago in a quiet, crude place where animals sleep, Mary gave birth and felt the soft, human skin of her firstborn. The humanity of this scene appropriately pulls us in for a closer look. We can identify with Joseph’s confusion, with Mary’s wonder, and with the shepherds’ amazement about the Son of God’s quiet […]
Ten Transforming Truths about Batons
I passed the baton last weekend . . . well, sort of. I’ll explain. Baton—you’ve probably heard the word a hundred times, referring to the cylinder-shaped device athletes carry and trade off during races, or maestros use to lead orchestras, or policemen wield for protection. Batons are usually rather small but powerful. Well, my baton […]