Sitting in the worship service, looking around at others, I may only see ordinary people, but if I look closer, with eyes of gratitude, I may catch a glimpse of a higher truth. I am part of something truer than what my tired eyes are taking in. God has transformed his people into impressive...
During the Christmas season, my mind naturally drifts toward the account of Christ’s birth in Luke 2, and the lines from Isaiah, Micah and Amos. The belief in the incarnation of Christ is at the very heart of the Christian faith, and without it, we would not have the death nor...
A few weeks ago, in an attempt to do a bit of organizing, I grabbed my box of letters and notes that I've kept through the years and started sorting through them. I had letters from family and friends from as far back as high school. Simple notes that were dropped in the mail from a friend in...
After picking up Chinese takeout recently, our kids were reading their fortunes. I don't remember exactly what Evan's fortune said, but it had to do with success (as fortune cookies often do). He asked us, "What is success?" What followed felt like a Spirit-led conversation...
Most of us have probably been around a toddler that was in need of some sleep. Their cute little cherub faces can suddenly morph, tired eyes and petulant lips turning them into diminutive monsters, whose vocabulary is limited to the word “NO!” And while I like to think that I am...
My father had a serious accident that nearly took his life this year. He spent a month in intensive, acute and skilled nursing care located four hours from my home. His hardship taught me how to pray with more audacity than I have ever dared. I begged for unity in our family in making...
The gospels are full of interesting clues about how Christ handled himself while he lived on earth. One thing is apparent about his way of life: whenever he was tired, overwhelmed or grieved, he sought solitude. When Jesus heard that John the Baptist had been beheaded, he withdrew to a private...
Answering God’s call to peace At the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, the 1960 presidential debates play in a continuous loop. In one of the debates, the moderator asks the presidential candidates to explain why Americans should cast a vote in their favor. Modern viewers...
Did you ever know someone who made you feel like a rock star every time you saw them? Until his death last spring, our family friend Bob Hittner was that for me.Bob always seemed as though he might die from the sheer joy of having your company once again. If you judged by his delight, you could...
This is a sad story. I’m only sharing it because I hope it contains wisdom about how to deal with life and death. Not my wisdom, but the wisdom of a mother who lost her 15-year-old daughter. I met this grieving mom for the first time on a recent vacation. Kara described her daughter so...
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