Glory in Our Sufferings

Glory in Our Sufferings

(Read Romans 5:1–5) Life is heavy sometimes. That’s not breaking news. You and I know pain. We’ve sat in the silence of disappointment. We’ve stood in the tension of uncertainty. We’ve wrestled with grief, frustration, loss, longing. But in the middle of all of that,...
Today

Today

Think about today. Just one day. Just… today. Not tomorrow. Not yesterday.Today. How can you become more aware of God today? What can you do differently—what can you think differently—to experience His presence in this one day? How could you talk with God more today...
Remembering Summers

Remembering Summers

As I approach my 65th birthday on July 21, I find myself pausing to remember the summers that have brought me here. One after another, like waves on the shore—soft and slow or loud and full of motion. All of them part of the story. I remember summers as a child:...
Escaping the Fast Lane

Escaping the Fast Lane

I just read—or attempted to read—a variety of medical journals about the importance of sleep. The language was a little too deep for me. But here’s the simple summary for readers like me: sleep is our friend. We need it. Our brains need it. And not just long nights of...
Thankful I Said Yes

Thankful I Said Yes

There are moments when you decide to do something you’ve always dreamed of doing. And afterward, you’re just thankful you said yes. I did. And I am. For me, it was going to the Home Run Derby with my son Graham. When we initially talked about going, I hesitated. We...
For the Time Being

For the Time Being

(A reflection from the conclusion of Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, based on the book, For the Time Being, by Annie Dillard.) We don’t always notice it while it’s happening. The sacred, silent passing of truth. The gentle, sometimes gritty...
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

(Thoughts from chapter twelve in Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, based on the book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson.) We live in a culture of instant everything. Quick clicks. Fast results. We want it...
Why I Wake Early

Why I Wake Early

(Thoughts from chapter eleven, Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, based on the book, Why I Wake Early, by Mary Oliver.) Everything important doesn’t begin with a shout. Some begin with a whisper. A slow inhale. A quiet light spreading...
Wishful Thinking

Wishful Thinking

(Thoughts from chapter ten of Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, based on the book Wishful Thinking by Frederick Buechner.) There are writers whose words feel like home. Frederick Buechner is that kind of writer for me. Not just an author...
Hope Has its Reasons

Hope Has its Reasons

(Thoughts from chapter nine of Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for You, based on the book, Hope Has It’s Reasons, by Rebecca Pippert.)  Hope. Not the flimsy kind of hope we tape onto our lives like a bandage....