Tuesday, October 8, 2019 | Reflections
Not long ago, I heard and saw a little girl calling her mom because she was losing her balance. Mom never looked up, and the little girl fell. When I see a child crying and calling for the help of a parent, I usually try to intervene in a meaningful way. I...
Monday, October 7, 2019 | Reflections
What would my life be like if I truly did everything for the glory of God? How would I treat my family? How would I do my work? Would I practice my music more? Would I procrastinate? How would I treat my body? How would I act at church? Would I sit in the...
Sunday, October 6, 2019 | Reflections
I am a very happy person—I can find something to smile about in any situation. My favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:4: “Take delight in the Lord.” This phrase reminds me of the joy I feel every time I see my son and the delight I feel when I hear him making music....
Saturday, October 5, 2019 | Reflections
When my son was little, he was afraid of the dark—but he was even more afraid of rumbling and flashing thunderstorms. Ellis would come to my room or ask me to come into his during stormy nights. I never got upset with Ellis for being afraid and seeking sh….(View...
Friday, October 4, 2019 | Reflections
I often wish I had lived in Jesus’ time and could have witnessed his power. But the Holy Spirit reminds me: This is Jesus’ time. You can and do witness his power today, here and now. My dad had a stroke in August 2018. As I am writing this, he ….(View this...
Thursday, October 3, 2019 | Reflections
I was in New York in August 2017 when I heard that Harvey was going to hit my hometown of Houston as a category 4 hurricane. I caught one of the last flights to Houston so I could be with my family. The rain fell, the floods came, winds blew and beat on...
Wednesday, October 2, 2019 | Reflections
I recently bought some oranges that were just beautiful—plump and round and very orange. I couldn’t wait to get home to enjoy them. I sat down to eat one, really wanting to savor it. While I was peeling this orange, I realized it didn’t smell sweet. When I put it in...
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 | Reflections
Ask. Search. Knock. There have been several times in my life when I have been in need—a job, a recommendation letter, a place to stay, a meal, a kind word. When the need is dire, I gather myself and pray.I remember when I needed a job desperately. My son...
Monday, September 30, 2019 | Reflections
Being a Christian is a bit like being grounded at an airport during a storm: We never know when we’re leaving. Countless believers have been motivated by a sense that Jesus’ return is imminent, and yet here we still are two millennia later. We have a very different...
Sunday, September 29, 2019 | Reflections
Having enough money to cover bills and living expenses offers options and space to think about the needs of others. Too little money causes constant, wearing anxiety about how to meet basic needs like shelter and food, leaving little room for any other concerns....
Saturday, September 28, 2019 | Reflections
Scripture isn’t super clear or consistent about what lies on the other side of death, though Jesus explicitly promises both resurrection and judgment. I like to think that after we die and await resurrection, we reside in some manner in God’s memory. In this way, I...
Friday, September 27, 2019 | Reflections
Milk comes from mothers, honey comes from bees, and manna comes from heaven. But surely bread is the result of our own labor: the mixing, the kneading, the proving, the fire that needs to be built, wood or charcoal collected. And yet, Jesus reminds us in the prayer he...
Thursday, September 26, 2019 | Reflections
You can hear the fear and anger of the psalmist in these lines as they call upon God to wipe out the enemies of Israel. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies, and yet who among us hasn’t wished for our enemies to have their comeuppance? Petty vengeance is ….(View...
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 | Reflections
The link between my father and me was like a glitchy phone line—important information was lost in static. Over time, that faulty line saw less and less use. His death left me feeling frustrated and angry. On retreat more than a year after his death, I sat….(View...
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 | Reflections
Bread is a simple food—flour, water, oil, yeast, a bit of sugar, time, and heat. Yeast—a living organism—eats the sugar and gives a gorgeous rise to a loaf of bread. Likewise, for us to rise, we must have the leaven of a living and lively faith. My l….(View this...
