earth’s shadow
When I see the moon at its thinnest stage, I sometimes think of a passage I read in Flannery O’Connor’s A Prayer Journal. The writer composed these poetic words for God: “You are the slim crescent of a moon . . . and my self is the earth’s shadow that keeps me from seeing all the moon . . . I do not know you God, because I am in the way. Please help me to push myself aside.”
He knows you
He knows you. He knows every microcosm and nanosecond of your existence—every cell, atom, and molecule; every interest, weakness, and achievement; every hope, dream, and grief.
in the open
Last fall, a professional athlete fatally shot his girlfriend during a domestic dispute at home and then took his own life outside his team’s stadium. Following the tragedy, some tried to pin the murder-suicide on a lack of gun control. Others wondered if the concussion the man had suffered weeks earlier or the medication prescribed for it contributed to his actions. One of his teammates, offered perhaps the most insightful thoughts:
communing with God
Matthew 18:11: I, the Son of Man, have come to save the lost.
Have you ever thought of yourself as a "that"? Christians tend to think that Christ was sent to earth by His Father for the sole purpose of saving souls. However, according to this passage of Scripture, Jesus was sent to fulfill more than just salvation. He literally paved…
face-to-face
Throughout the day, my husband and I text each other. Some texts consist of requests for information or reminders of a to-do list. Oftentimes, though, a brief message conveying our love does wonders to boost our sense of closeness in an otherwise busy day. A quick text, however, can only accentuate what has already been formed in the larger context…
prayer's rich blessings
I don’t write definitively on the subject of prayer very much because I find it to be indescribable, highly personal, and not open to the evaluation of others because . . . prayer is between God and me.
Some wax eloquently on the subject, some have written entire books on the subject, and some have written entire series on the subject.…
knowing Him
Knowing HIM is . . . OVERWHELMING (to say the least)! This is a good “overwhelming”, of course, but nonetheless, overwhelming!
I couldn’t help recently revisiting the song Be Thou My Vision over and over again. Most have heard this old hymn, but it became most special to me, because of the Scripture it's based on—Philippians 3: 7-11: "But whatever gain…
staying close
Over the past few months my wife and I have been the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies for three weddings. Not only are we considering doing this fulltime (just kidding!), we truly enjoyed helping the couples design marriage ceremonies and receptions that reflect who they are.
God designed marriage in a way that reflects who He is. He said, “It…
jonathan's example
When Matt Damon hit it big in Hollywood, he bought two Jeep Grand Cherokees—one for him, and one for his best buddy, Ben Affleck. In an interview with People magazine, he said, “That was our dream car. We flipped a coin on the color. We both wanted hunter green and I won; he got black.” I had to smile when I…
long commute
Michael Hanley traded an 8-minute commute to work for an 8-hour one. When his autoworker job in Wisconsin was phased out, he stayed with the company and took the only position available—in Kansas. His weekly round-trip commute is now more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles). He’s gone from his family each workweek, seeing them only on the weekends. But he chose…
the joy of sex
The women’s fashion and lifestyle magazine in my mechanic’s office flaunted numerous articles about sex. One story, meant to be especially titillating, recounted the exploits of men who made love to multiple partners at once. The article left me sad. These hollow thrill seekers are not just looking for love in all the wrong places, they’re looking for love in…
same address
A Japanese man living alone in the city of Fukoka noticed that food was disappearing from his fridge. So he installed a security camera which showed someone moving around inside his house while he was away. When the police investigated, they found a 58-year-old woman that had been living in a tiny storage space in the house for almost a…
