Tuesday, August 28, 2018 | Reflections
A few days ago, I was attending a social event and was shocked to run into a former friend with whom I’d had a falling out. Suddenly, this person stood in front of me, and I had to make a split-second decision on how to react. So of course, I made the wrong decision....
Monday, August 27, 2018 | Reflections
From losing my parents and dear friends to a career failure, I have had my heart broken many times. During those periods, I have often struggled to find God’s peace, the peace that passes all understanding. I’ve also had a hard time achieving what the country...
Sunday, August 26, 2018 | Reflections
Some of my friends are distressed because their adult children have fallen away from regular church attendance. These parents tried hard to raise their children to love the church as much as they did and feel deeply hurt when their children slowly drift away from the...
Saturday, August 25, 2018 | Reflections
Over the years, many people have sat across from me and have said they want nothing more from life than its end. But the people who say these things in my office often want something else. More than death, many of them really want to be relieved from pain. They want...
Friday, August 24, 2018 | Reflections
I was a very sad little boy. I had good reason to be sad, too. I had more loss and struggle in my life before I turned ten than I would ever wish on my very worst enemy. My life was bleak and hopeless.But my teacher, Mr. Holloman, tried mightily to cheer me up. One...
Thursday, August 23, 2018 | Reflections
Can you imagine praising the Lord after losing everything in life important to you? I can’t. I struggled with praising God after losing out on a promotion recently. I even get mad when my fantasy football team does poorly. Yet in today’s reading, Job prays words of...
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 | Reflections
We often live our precious lives in fear of scarcity. Something about being human seems to make us fear not having enough. While people seek out psychotherapy for many reasons, a big issue is a fear of not enough. Some are concerned they don’t have enough self-esteem...
Tuesday, August 21, 2018 | Reflections
Author Anne Lamott recounts a story about her brother in one of her books. Age 10 at the time of the story, her brother had waited until the last minute to complete a school assignment cataloging a large number of birds. He was feeling very hopeless when their father...
Monday, August 20, 2018 | Reflections
When I first heard Bob Dylan’s song “Rainy Day Woman # 12 & 35,” I thought the line about “everybody must get stoned” was a reference to smoking marijuana. A closer reading of the lyrics reveals this song is filled with Old and New Testament allusions. In this...
Sunday, August 19, 2018 | Reflections
Most of us would prefer a world where the line between righteousness and sin is clearly demarcated, like the ones and zeros of binary code. While technology has overrun many areas of our lives, our moral lives will never be so simple.So long as we live, we will not be...
Saturday, August 18, 2018 | Reflections
Illness can sometimes arrive like a slow-moving rainstorm. Many mental health problems sneak up like a rainstorm that might let up for a while but never seems to completely move on. And then rain comes down in buckets, soaking everyone involved. The man from today’s...
Friday, August 17, 2018 | Reflections
I recently turned 46 years old and am starting to feel my age. I’ve started to worry about my future. What more can I accomplish in the years left? Sometimes, I wonder if my best years are behind me. While we may be tempted to think our best days are past, God always...
Thursday, August 16, 2018 | Reflections
Struggling to pray sometimes—or not knowing where to begin—is a familiar experience. I have found that thanksgiving is a great place to start when I struggle in my prayer life. Reflecting on the blessings that God has given me can be like following a bread-crumb trail...
Wednesday, August 15, 2018 | Reflections
Jesus did not descend into our world clean and untouched through a puffy divine cloud. No, God sends our redeemer into the world the same way you and I entered it. Jesus is “born of a woman.” I often fall into the trap of minimizing my service to God. In my work as a...
Tuesday, August 14, 2018 | Reflections
Infertility is a heartbreaking condition that causes incredible pain and often the kind of stress that can destroy otherwise strong relationships. If you have ever struggled with infertility or are close to someone who has, you know exactly what I’m talking about.If...
