winning over worry
In the last year, my family has had much to worry about. My wife wasn’t called back to her full-time teaching position (we counted on her income to help cover household expenses), my son was having recurring chest pain that we thought was due to an enlarged heart, our insurance was running out and an alternative plan was going to…
déjà vu
David was caught in a living nightmare. Once again, Saul was hot on his heels. The king had taken 3,000 of Israel’s elite troops and was hunting David down in the wilderness of Ziph. The events in 1 Samuel 26 have a sense of déjà vu about them—they’re remarkably similar to what took place in chapter 24.
In the first…
to live and die
During a trip to Singapore, I was fascinated by the variety of cemeteries found there. One featured aboveground crypts with openings at the bottom. When I asked why the holes were there, my host explained that it was due to religious beliefs. The families of the deceased believe that the openings allow the spirits of the dead to move freely…
a leaning faith
When I was 6 years old, I stood atop the neighborhood pool’s 12-foot high dive while my parents tried to coax me to take the plunge. I was afraid of heights, and they wanted me to face my fears. So they had encouraged me to climb up and give it a try. However, I stood atop the small tower for…
legacy
I’m writing from Karamoja, a vast plain located in northeast Uganda. This region is home to the Karamojong, a tribe whose dress, religion, and traditions represent a vestige of pre-colonial Africa.
The Karamojong are fierce warriors, guided by their deep-seated belief that all cattle belong to them by divine mandate. In other words, if anyone else owns a cow, they…
one, two, three . . .
When my son was a toddler, I played a game with him that made a big splash—literally. As I stood in the water, just a few feet from the edge of the pool, I would reach out my arms and encourage him to leap from the safe terra firma to me. I would count, “One . . two . .…
knowledge isn't enough
The preacher asked his audience whether they believed he had a $20 bill in his closed hand. After a woman said that she believed he did, the speaker announced that he would destroy her faith by opening his hand and showing the money. “Now that you know I have a $20 bill,” he said, “you can no longer have faith…
pictures of Jesus
The story of Jesus is presented in four different Gospels, each capturing His life from an individual writer’s unique perspective. It’s been said that Matthew presents Jesus as the King who comes to reign and rule; Mark portrays the Servant who comes to serve and suffer; Luke describes the Son of Man who comes to share and sympathize; and John…
god spot
Recently, scientists announced that they had identified at least three “god spots” in the human brain. They believe that the same portions of our lobes that allow us to interpret people’s moods and intentions also help us manage our “religiosity.” Hmmm. That sounds a lot like scientists once again trying to explain away spiritual life as a biological phenomenon (atheist scientist…
bold faith
Recently, a 6-year-old boy missed his morning bus to school. Determined not to miss his school breakfast or gym class, the tyke grabbed the keys to his parents’ car, crept out of the house as his mother slept, and drove nearly 6 miles toward his school. The Associated Press report gave amazing detail of the boy’s remarkable jaunt: “He made…
miraculous joy
Something strange happened last fall in the village of Milano, Italy. Residents turned on their home water taps and white wine flowed out! No, this was not a modern-day miracle-merely a mix-up.
A local worker accidentally connected a line flowing with the fermented grape juice to a water main, instead of to a public fountain in the town square. You…
endure!
When Wilma Rudolph was born, the doctors did not expect her to survive. She did! At the age of of four, she contracted pneumonia and scarlet fever, leaving her left leg paralyzed. She learned to walk with the aid of a brace. However, at age nine, she started walking without it. By age 13, she developed a rhythmic walk. That…
seeing easter
My son Wyatt is only 5, but being typically male, he still has a bit of an issue with commitment. He told me, "I believe in God, but I'm waiting to make my choice about loving Him until I see Him."
Wyatt's hesitation does make sense. He wants to know what God is like before he trusts Him—and in Wyatt's…
