by Chris Maxwell | Jul 20, 2024 | Blog
Sixty-four is the number. It is the number of years. My years. Here on planet earth, collaborating with people and places and things, I’ve lived on this traveling circle. Years ago sixty-four sounded old. Very old. Now that number feels not all that old....
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 18, 2024 | Blog
A review by Chris Maxwell When I finally finished reading Jon M. Sweeney’s My Life in Seventeen Books: A Literary Memoir, I wanted to write my thoughts. But I was wrong. I wasn’t finished reading. I reread a few chapters several times, revisiting his stories, his...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 15, 2024 | Blog
Percussion. This morning I heard the tires on the road. Various vehicles, various speeds, various sizes, various stories. Tires turning over and over and over on the streets in various places. To work. Back home. Going. Coming. Percussion. My own steps taken at my...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 11, 2024 | Blog
I love words. Spoken or written, words. Heard or read, words. They inspire action, shift moods, sound alarms, raise volume, offer invitations, provide peace. They might arrive for a brief visit. They might stay for a long, long time. They show us what to notice. They...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 8, 2024 | Blog
Walking alone does not necessarily mean alone. During my early Saturday morning walk, I noticed many friends. I don’t know if any of them would consider me a friend, but that’s okay. The opinions or assumptions of others do not need to control our perspectives and...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 5, 2024 | Blog
Do you like to “listen in” as people around you talk? Maybe they’re at a table beside you in a restaurant. Maybe they’re in seats near you at a ball game. Maybe they’re in line before you at the grocery store. You won’t interrupt them. You...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 1, 2024 | Blog
What’s your favorite number? When did you select that number? Why is it your favorite? The number twelve has never been my favorite number. I’ve preferred eleven. Or one. Or ten. Or thirty-three. But now my mind is on number twelve. Why? My twelth book will be...
by Chris Maxwell | Jun 27, 2024 | Blog, Book Excerpts
From Pause for Pastors: Finding Still Waters in the Storm of Ministry. Think about your struggles and your successes. Think about your strengths and your weaknesses. Think about your victories and defeats. Think about Jesus entering a dialogue with you and healing you...
by Chris Maxwell | Jun 24, 2024 | Blog, Book Excerpts
From the book Pause for Pastors: Finding Still Waters in the Storm of Ministry. I’m typing these words after an interesting day. I spent the morning—and the last few days—in a denomination’s conference where leaders were elected and policies were presented. Honesty, I...
by Chris Maxwell | Jun 20, 2024 | Blog, Book Excerpts
From the book Pause for Moms: Finding Rest in a too Busy World. When the days are so hot and long, and the sun so bright, we dream of winter. Glancing forward, we miss the now. When we freeze waking up and going to sleep, and the ice covers the roads, we dream of...
