mistaken identity
Although we’re 5 years apart, people often confuse me with my older sister. From the staff at my favorite coffee shop to my sister’s nursing students, we have many stories of people who try to ask me a medical question or who talk to her about writing. The mix-up seems humorous to us, because we don’t see the similarities that others view so clearly.
hearing God’s Word
As a Christian radio broadcaster, I get to encourage listeners by presenting truths from God’s Word, and—in the process—I’m also encouraged and built up in my faith. Berni Dymet, a broadcaster, author, and speaker, recently tweeted that he’d recorded a number of radio messages and that he’d been ministered to as he read the Word of God out loud. Hearing God’s Word is a powerful antidote to the very real struggles of everyday life.
clean start
For many years my wife and I put off doing some major remodeling to our home. Finally, the carpeting that was more that 35 years old and the kitchen cabinet doors that were falling apart caught up with us. So this year we employed operation clean start! It was out with the old and in with the new as the main floor of our home received an extreme makeover. Now that the process of restoration is nearly finished, it’s amazing to see and experience the difference!
beloved
Standing near the body of his older brother, his pain was visible. Adding to the weight of death was the knowledge that their relationship had been the closest thing he’d ever known to that of a father and son. His brother had always said, “I love you,” whenever they parted. But the differences in their lives, the jagged edges of their arguments, and the absence of true intimacy left this grieving man wondering if his love was real.
wonders and whispers
Scene 1: Elijah is on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:16-39). The prophet has declared a test. He and the prophets of Baal will each erect an altar and call to their respective gods. The one who sets the altar on fire will be revealed as the one true God (1 Kings 18:24).
a world at peace
My friends and I once interviewed believers of the four major religions practiced in Singapore to find out their teaching on Utopia. This topic intrigued us, for we knew that all people live in an imperfect world.
false gods, true blessing
The stuff of life has a way of turning our hearts away from God. False gods include money, success, school, careers, romantic relationships, children, and more. Tim Keller, in Counterfeit Gods, defines a false god this way: “Anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give.”
untethered
Nik Wallenda became the first man to walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. During this amazing accomplishment, the television network that broadcast the event insisted that Wallenda wear a tether, so even if he had slipped he would not have plummeted to his death. Nik protested, but reluctantly agreed to use the tether. I’m glad he did, especially for the sake of his wife and children—but for some it may have diminished his accomplishment a bit.
toxic environment
Two dolphins—Shadow and Chelmers—died of a drug overdose at the Connyland Marine Park in Switzerland. Forensic experts suppose that partygoers at a nearby rave placed a heroinlike substance into the dolphins’ tank water. The dolphin trainers who found Chelmers described him as “shaking all over and foaming at the mouth.” Based on these symptoms and the presence of buprenorphine in the dolphins’ bodies, it seems likely that the dolphins died due to their toxic environment.
tough times ahead
You’ve sent out countless resumes. Yet employment still seems elusive. You’ve led a healthy lifestyle. Yet the cancer marker is abnormally high. You’ve tried to be a good parent. Yet your child is choosing not to follow God. The list goes on.
fuel up
I drive a diesel truck in Uganda, so when my sister’s boyfriend loaned me his diesel pick-up while I was in the United States recently, I thought I could manage it just fine. The very first time I put fuel in it, however, I made a big mistake: I topped off the tank with high-grade gasoline instead of diesel.
not listening
God, I’m not listening. I’m not going to read the Bible because I know You’ll speak, and I don’t like what I hear. I’ve been turning away the godly people You’ve sent my way, and I’m going to sleep in late and skip church.
Sound familiar? Yes, sometimes we would rather not hear God—especially when we find our sinful indulgence…
marshmallow test
You’re seated in a small room with a table in front of you. On the table is a tray of puffy white confections that most of us know and love— marshmallows. A man shows up and explains that he is going to leave the room for a few minutes. While he’s gone, you can ring a bell to summon him…
a destructive god
There are two essential spiritual truths that we ignore at our peril. The first is that a variety of “gods” seek our allegiance. The second is that we take on the qualities of the gods we worship. Jesus described money as one of these alternative gods, and the secular world is now telling us how worshiping this god affects us.…
money matters
I was looking at my bank account recently. The dismal amount led me to think about how I could grow my money. You know, as someone in my mid-30s, I ought to have a healthy sum stashed away for rainy days, right? The next thought that came to my mind was: Hmm . . . maybe I should cut back…
