As an introvert, I have friends and then I have friends, and I’m always amazed at how the Lord provides those friends to pour into my life at just the right time. This is what I’ve experienced in the past weeks, and I’m grateful to his provision. I have decided that being involved in overseas ministry is a … More You Need a Friend
Today would have been his 73rd birthday. This day comes now with a bitter-sweetness that is hard to shake, but the Lord has made this one especially sweet, so I want to tell you about it. As pilgrims on this journey, we do not always have the joy of seeing the results of the seed-sowing … More The Best Gift
Do you ever wonder how much more bad news can you bear? I’ve felt that way of late, and recently had a week of just one piece of bad news after the other. None of it directly affected me or my family, but it concerned people in my circle of friends or connections, and it … More Brain Surgery, Heart Attacks and Floods
There are so many serendipities to following God. I like that word, because it reminds me of my dad. He was a serendipity-kind-of man; always looking for the blessings that God brings our way. Unlike the idea of “chance” or “luck”, serendipities in faith are like extra toppings to the already wonderful blessing of knowing … More When Writing meets Reality
One of the hard things about the Christian life, and one that the world doesn’t get, is praying in faith. Two things are important to remember in this: The prayers are lifted up to the God of all creation through Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are not praying in blind … More Worth the Effort
The year was 1993. We were living in Damascus, Syria. I look up from my computer and out my window, thinking how long ago that seems. Yet the memory is clear. Her name was Kaokub. In English, it meant planet. I always thought that was a funny name to name a child, but some thirty years … More New Year, New Life
I’ve always been a cautious person on stairs. Maybe there’s some subconscious recollection of my mother falling with me down a flight of stairs when I was a baby. In any case, I do have a tendency to hold on to a railing, especially when descending. It’s no surprise that not every stair case has … More The offered hand
I was reminded this week of how quickly things can change. I listened to the wife of our dear brother share at his funeral, “I never imagined that this time last week, I would be standing up here talking about the loss of my husband.” Whether a loved one suffers over a period of time … More Are you prepared?
When you’re out of gas physically and emotionally, it doesn’t mean that you have to be wiped out spiritually. It’s been a hard week, as I watched a dear family lose both husband/father and home all in one night. Wiped out doesn’t even begin to describe it. My brother and I were talking that while … More Yet…
It’s been a day of contrasts. Much of my morning was spent with police officers and an unruly patron. My lunch was with a dear friend over tomato soup and quiche. My afternoon was caught up again with some of our regular patrons and a complaint aimed at a colleague, while my dinner was spent … More For and Against