Category: Christian Blog

  • Is Hope a Sustainable Strategy?

    Is Hope a Sustainable Strategy?

    The pint-sized kindergartener kept heaving the full-size basketball upward towards the goal. The rim was set to seven feet high, but the little girl is only half that tall. Yet there she was, trying over and over to reach the basket. My wife walked by at some point, unaware just how long the tenacious child…

  • Hurry Up or Wait?

    Hurry Up or Wait?

    It happened over two decades ago, but it feels like yesterday. I knew it was time to leave the church where I’d served for three and a half years. But I didn’t have an exit strategy. “No problem,” I thought. “I’ll just put out some feelers while I decide what to do.” A week later…

  • Anxiety + Resiliency = “Anxiliency”

    Anxiety + Resiliency = “Anxiliency”

    “You help someone by telling them your story,” says my blogger friend Mitch Teemley. Okay, that’s not a direct quote, but it sums up his purpose in story telling–I think. Since I linked back to his site, maybe he’ll chime in.🤞 My story goes like this: at times I’ve been like a leafless tree, watching…

  • Lost Balloons

    Lost Balloons

    The fall our oldest son turned four, he enjoyed his first state fair. We walked the midway, road on a carousel, and shared a giant corn dog. The little guy’s eyes were wide with wonder! At some point, we came upon a man holding dozens of brightly colored helium balloons. Families were buying them up…

  • Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

    Everything’s Gonna Be Alright

    As an elementary music teacher, it’s a joy taking my students to sing at nursing homes. The picture above captures a boy (age 5) bonding with a woman (age 95). The two became fast friends, back in 2015, and were featured in our local newspaper under the headline, “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” Praise be to…

  • Surfing Uncertainty

    Surfing Uncertainty

    When in a crisis, it’s a good idea to consult someone who has survived a few. Actor Alan Alda, 87–of T.V. show M*A*S*H fame–was asked in a 2020 interview how optimistic he was for his children and grandchildren’s future. Here’s what he told AARP magazine: With the world changing so rapidly, there’s no point in being optimistic…