lost
Yesterday I lost my wedding ring. I was splashing about in a river when the wet band apparently slipped off my finger. I’m devastated. I can’t afford to replace what I lost, as the price of gold is at an all time high. But even as I’m feeling sorry for myself, I realize that I’ve lost only my wedding ring—many…
amputate!
The film 127 Hours tells the true story of Aron Ralston, based on his memoir Between a Rock and a Hard Place. In 2003 Aron’s forearm became pinned under a boulder for 5 days with no rescue in sight. Out of desperation he freed himself by cutting off his right arm with a blunt penknife. This gruesome scene in the film…
seasons
Last summer brought unrelenting temperatures of more than 100 degrees to my part of the country. So when a day arrived when the sky brought overcast clouds and rain, I began to think about autumn and cooler weather. I love certain aspects of summer, but the too hot days stir my anticipation for what comes next.
The same is true…
June 18, 2012
Jesus said, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family." How was that true during Jesus' ministry on earth and how might that be true today?
a house divided
Janice is an attractive woman in her mid-30s. She has looks, friends and a successful career. A few years ago she also became a Christian—to the horror of her atheist father. Since then her visits home have become more and more difficult. Each week her father pummels her with reasons why she should abandon her ‘fairy tale’ faith.
This relentless…
where they are
It was news that deeply saddened me. My nephew’s wife, more than 2 months pregnant, found out that the baby within her womb was no longer living. I sent her and my nephew a message—expressing my grief and assuring them of my love. A few hours later, another niece gave birth to a healthy baby girl. I sent them a…
living light
When Dee Williams decided to downsize she sold her 3-bedroom house and moved into an 84-square foot “tiny house.” This transition liberated her from a monthly mortgage payment. She now owns her home—which cost a fraction of the price—and pays just hardly anything each month in heating costs. Before moving in, Dee purged many of her possessions. Old photos, love…
alert
On October 25, 2010, an earthquake created a tsunami that left hundreds of people missing or dead in Indonesia. The deaths could have been prevented or minimized if the tsunami warning system had been working properly. The tsunami detection network consists of two buoys designed to measure unusual waves and send signals inland—alerting people to imminent danger. But the buoys…
red barn in the andes
All roads may lead to Rome, but the most dangerous road leads to Coroico, a terminal stop on Bolivia’s El Camino de la Muerte—the Road of Death. The road may be deadly, but it’s also spectacular. Clinging to the sides of the verdant, misty Andes Mountains, the sliver of highway slices through panoramic vistas and tiptoes along unforgiving drop-offs that…
the cost of citizenship
My adopted son became a naturalized American citizen when we flew in from Uganda on 3rd June, 2011 and passed through immigration. Though we were in America only for the summer, and would return to Uganda a few weeks later, by law my son's citizenship is his for life.
His rights as a citizen include voting in elections, serving on…
June 12, 2012
Should followers of Jesus be involved in their country's political campaigns? Why or why not?
never asleep
Several highway drivers phoned the police, reporting that a truck was erratically swerving down the road and jerking from side to side. About 6:30 a.m. the police spotted the vehicle and flashed their lights for the truck to pull over. When the officer approached the vehicle, he found an 8-year-old boy at the wheel. The boy’s father was asleep in…
love the most?
A young child once asked her father, “Daddy, who do you love the most, me or my brother?” The father wisely explained to his child that he loved each one of his children the same, but he sometimes expressed his love in different ways.
Later, the child asked her father a different question, “Daddy, who do you love the most,…
something lesser
I was surprised when a colleague told me that few commentaries are written on the book of Judges. In general it seems that Christians avoid the book.
But there are many interesting, helpful stories in Judges. Chapter 17 contains one of them. The protagonist is named Micah, but he isn’t the prophet Micah. Though they share the same name (which…
security
The 21st century is turning out to be frighteningly unpredictable. As technology scampers ahead at breakneck speed, companies that were toasted yesterday are today simply toast. The Blackberry has given way to the iPhone, "brick and mortar" bookshops have been pushed aside by amazon.com, and MySpace has been supplanted by Facebook (which is being challenged by Google+). Few businesses can…
