harmony
A group of young adults had spent many hours studying Scripture together and serving side-by- side. Needless to say, there was a close bond forming between them. But an issue threatened to break up...
View Articlefreely given
At the end of a long day, I took a quick moment to get a jumpstart on my work email—striving to preempt any surprises I might face at 8 o’clock the next morning. Frustration ebbed throughout my tired...
View Articledinner and a sinner
Several years ago, while vacationing in Washington, DC, my family noticed a large crowd forming in front of a popular downtown theater. The word on the street was that Colin Powell, the United States...
View Articlesquash the beef
During a promotional event, two 73-year-old former Canadian Football League players got into a fistfight on stage. They had a “beef” (a grudge or feud between friends, family members, or enemies)...
View Articlelet go
I spent the summer of 1992 tumbling, somersaulting, and plowing over the waters of Strom Thurmond Lake in South Carolina. Belying any grand designs, I was simply trying to learn how to water-ski. A...
View Articlepearls to pigs
I have always been perplexed by today’s reading in Matthew 7. What are these “pearls” being spoken of and who are the “pigs” we’re not to throw them to?
View Articleforgive and forget?
Sergei said to his pastor, “It’s been 2 years since Danica cheated on me, and I still can’t get past the hurt. Some days I think I’ve moved on, but the pain is always lurking beneath the surface, ready...
View Articlejustice and faith
As a friend and I watched our children play in the pool, I had no idea that I would soon be swimming in my capris. But when I saw our kids struggling to stay above the water, I jumped in. My instinct...
View Articlewounded
My daughter consistently teaches me that perspective is everything when it comes to relationships. Watching her navigate the ins and outs of adolescence, I see a mirror for my own misunderstandings...
View Articlea new genesis
A couple of years ago, as I was driving our son Wyatt to kindergarten, our conversation turned to resurrection. Understandably, Wyatt was perplexed about what it meant and how it worked. Finally, he...
View Articlecontent with contention?
With its uncomfortable booths and tiled floors, the restaurant reflected the chill of the winter air. Having recently made the decision to take in foster children, my family sat waiting to meet a...
View Articlemy greatest enemy
A Christian leader was once asked: “Who is your greatest enemy?” He replied, “Every morning I see him in the mirror.” Perhaps that’s the real reason why some of us are facing challenges in our...
View Articlerelative peace
A 60-year-old man, atop a John Deere tractor, charged at his 69-year-old brother-in-law who was harvesting hay astride his own tractor. The collision resulted in a damaged tire and the...
View Articlethe greatest gift
My 9-year-old Ugandan son and I often list the things he’s done the past few years—activities that he could not have done if he were still orphaned and living in extreme poverty. In his village, he...
View ArticleJune 3, 2013
How has God and His grace helped you work through the effects of your past?
View Articlenew kind of father
Many people struggle in their daily life due to a poor relationship with their earthly fathers. I’ve counseled some who tend to humanize and view God through the lens of their negative experience. Many...
View Articlebackslap back?
When I lived in China, I had an American friend who was radically committed to bringing the gospel to that nation. He mastered the Chinese language until even the Chinese thought he spoke exactly like...
View Articlewe are family
We often say in the church that we’re a family, and we address each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. But what does that really mean? What implications does the word family hold?
View Articlethe real boss
While getting ready for bed one evening at our home in Uganda, my 9-year-old son Wasswa said, “Mommy, the man who fights is the boss. The man who doesn’t fight is the real boss!”
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