stay in your lane
Stay in your lane!” bellowed the sergeant at the trainee. “You’ve got help. Trust your buddies!” The brash young private liked to take charge and do things by himself. And now he had turned from his assigned position on the patrol’s right flank to help defend against an ambush from the left. But the sergeant knew what the trainee didn’t:…
why break the pencil?
I was listening to a radio call-in program that was discussing the making and breaking of promises. One presenter summed up the consensus when he said, “Most of us break promises as often as we break pencils. That’s just the way of life, and it’s what people expect today.”
King David didn’t see it that way. In 2 Samuel 9…
September 28, 2009
What has God taught you about how to handle conflict?
molding a young heart
Recently, my 5-year-old son Seth got angry with me. The incident was partly my fault (for not giving Seth my full attention) and partly his fault (for not being obedient). I gave him a timeout, but when he returned he was still miffed. I could tell he was searching for something to say—for the words that would deliver the best…
known
Hey, Gina.” The greeting was casual, but nonetheless surprising. Granted, I like my venti, decaf, nonfat, extra hot mocha all the way to the top, but I don’t go to Starbucks every day. I can only assume my high-maintenance order had emblazoned my name on the barrista’s mind. Amid my surprise, a lesson from the Lord hit home. I am…
unproductive on purpose
I mowed my father’s lawn at 8:00 a.m. one Sunday morning. I wondered what the neighbors thought, as my father never cut the grass or did any kind of work on Sunday. He felt that the “Lord’s Day” was to be reserved for quiet activities centered on God—much like the Sabbath rest of the Old Testament, which took place on…
who are you?
Who are you? Who, who, who, who?” These opening lyrics of a classic pop song are more than just lines from a catchy tune. The lyrics actually raise a key question: Do you know who you really are?
It’s an important question. And answering it isn’t as simple as rattling off your name, where you live, and what you do…
because you are here
Have you ever been short of money when it really mattered? As a college student working on a post-graduate degree, Keith Taylor worked three jobs. When his car broke down, he had to decide: pay the rent, or repair the car? He fixed his Ford Escort and would have been evicted if it hadn’t been for a bighearted boss who…
"Not again!"
As I read the text message on my mobile phone, my temperature started to rise. My blood began to boil. I’m at my rupturing point.
“Not again! Why does he always do that?”
I was on the verge of shooting back a nasty message when an inner voice told me to cool it and reply tomorrow.
Guess what? The next…
dying for life
Recently, I saw a poster with these words: “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.” —Indian (Cherokee) Proverb
The story of Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) is a sad one. Tabitha was a devout follower of Christ. Not much else…
perfect suffering
Prosperity preachers don’t last long in countries where there is persecution. They usually just leave.” That quote by Ajith Fernando from his book The Call to Joy and Pain captures two realities of the Christian faith: (1) Jesus suffered; (2) those who believe in Him will suffer too.
Unlike “health and wealth” false teachers, Jesus taught that suffering was something God…
September 21, 2009
What has God been teaching you about worship? How have you been worshiping Him in new ways?
copernican moment
In 1543, Nicolaus Copernicus published a theory that marked one of the starting points for the scientific revolution of the 16th century. His hypothesis was: The earth is not at the center of the universe.
Recently, I had what for me was a “Copernican moment.” I was reminded that I am not at the center of the universe. The world…
cross road blues
As I waited in line at a southern US coffeehouse, the T-shirt on the customer ahead of me caught my eye. Above two crossed guitars read the message: “Highway 49 and Highway 61, Clarksdale, Mississippi—Crossroads of the Blues.” Beneath that was the caption: “Lord, please forgive Robert Johnson.”
One of the musical superstars who sprang out of the American South…
the peace of the city
We love our city. When we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, we truly desired to be here, to live here, for our story to intertwine with our city’s story. We felt a new call: For our welfare to be connected with the welfare of our neighborhood. One night, I even found myself watching the city’s public access channel, intrigued by a…
