“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” so say the classic words of the childhood story of the little chicken who clamored for attention. They are words we remember, and sadly, words we hear every day. There are numerous voices that attempt to speak into our thoughts and lives every day. Some speak blessing and hope, while others curses and fear. Some come with […]
I want to thank all of my subscribers and readers for their patience. I could list a number of things that have consumed my time, but the deeper reality is that I have been wrestling with inspiration, not merely the inspiration to sit at the computer and write, but the inspiration to have something of substance to say. The past two weeks, I was forced to […]
It is a cold Saturday morning. There is a fire in the fireplace and warm oatmeal settling in to nourish us for the day. No particular agenda is pressing, and the house is still relatively quiet. It is a perfect time to relax and savor the moment, and I am battling the desire to, “just get a little more work done.” Maybe you have experienced […]
Kindness is a wonderful thing. It is great to receive and equally wonderful to give. It can multiply the joyous times of life and bring the light of hope into the darkest seasons. My devotions recently led me to a wonderful reflection on kindness in the form of a story from the ancient Christians: Abba Moses was asked to travel to another community to pass […]
What does God want for Christmas? It may sound like a strange question, but it may be the most important one we answer in this season. As we approach the holiday, many of us are scurrying to make all of the necessary preparations for our family and friends. There is food to buy, decorations to find and hang, and, of course, presents to buy. In […]
Where will you be when Christmas finds you? It happened to me tonight in a most unexpected way. This morning, I was in the office commiserating with someone who shared my sense that it just did not feel like Christmas. Sure, many of our presents are already purchased, and yes, the carols have been playing in the stores and in our car. There is even […]
If you have ever been called upon to stand beside a good friend during the loss of someone they loved, then you know what an awesome gift and responsibility it is. As a pastor, I receive many opportunities to share this journey with members of my church family and others who need someone to help them through this challenging part of their journey. During these […]
“If you sit down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” – Proverbs 3:24 When I was a young teen, my family spent some time at a friends cabin in northern Pennsylvania. My father grew up spending a lot of time in the woods and even though I grew up closer to the city, he often made time […]
I confess, I am one of those people who loves logic puzzles. I think it goes back to my childhood when my father would use them to get me to go to sleep, or to be quiet in the car. He would say, “Charlie, I will give you 50 cents if you can answer this,” and then there would be some mental puzzle about two […]
If you are struggling to find victory in your life, you may want to take a look at your relationships. You may be battling a persistent sin, or trying to make it through a challenging time. You may even feel like your relationship with God has reached a plateau and you desire a deeper more powerful walk of faith. If this is you, have you […]