by Chris Maxwell | Sep 18, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
From the book Pause: The Secret to a Better Life, One Word at a Time. You’ve been influenced by a smile, haven’t you? A genuine, sincere smile? A humble, joyful smile? A fitting but surprising smile? A real but holy smile? From a picture. From real life in real...
by Chris Maxwell | Sep 4, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
We’re rushing. Emails, errands, meetings, messages. Deadlines we didn’t set and expectations we never agreed to. Even in our quiet moments, we’re scrolling, swiping, multitasking. What if we could press pause? Not forever. Not irresponsibly. Just long enough to...
by Chris Maxwell | Aug 28, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
Today, in our spiritual formation class, we begin a slow and sacred journey. We’re reading one chapter a day from Pause with Jesus: Encountering His Story in Everyday Life. Yes, it’s a reading assignment. Yes, there will be reflections and questions. But this is not...
by Chris Maxwell | Jul 11, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
(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...
by Chris Maxwell | Jun 30, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
(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...
by Chris Maxwell | Jun 26, 2025 | Blog, Book Excerpts
(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....
