There is a song by the band Casting Crowns that I like: I Will Praise You in the Storm. And sometimes in the midst of the storms of life, I’ve listened to this song, and in those moments, I’ve wanted desperately to get there – to be able to offer praise in spite of the […]
There is a story about a young soldier who was completely humiliated by his senior officer. This officer knew that he really had crossed a line and over-disciplined the young soldier. So when the younger man, clearly angry, said through clenched teeth, “I’ll make you regret this if it is the last thing I ever […]
Some time ago, I re-read the story of the Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams to my two youngest daughters. They are older now, but it sure brought back memories. It is a great story about a stuffed animal rabbit that wants so desperately to become real. Here’s just a short snippet: “Real isn’t how you […]
Christian scholar Timothy Beal, writing about spiritual formation, makes the profound claim that, “Darkness and uncertainty provide the environment most conducive to growth of the soul.” I don’t know why that is, but I’ve certainly found it to be true. When I’ve asked people how they came to faith, or when they grew in their […]
In the early 1900s, The Times of London sent an inquiry to a number of writers asking the question, “What’s wrong with the world today?” The Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton was among them, and his response was profound. It read in part: “In one sense, and that the eternal sense, the thing is plain. The […]
Norman Vincent Peale once told of a cruise he was on that had to skirt a hurricane. After the imminent danger had passed, he had a conversation with the Captain. The Captain related that he had always lived by a simple philosophy: If the sea is smooth, it will get rough; and if it is […]
Several years ago now, when Robbie and I were in Portugal, one of the highlights was visiting all the old monasteries. There were a few that were just elaborate – ornate – built on the wealth carried back from the new world. While we were there, we enjoyed imagining what it would be like to […]
In his autobiography, Breaking Barriers, syndicated columnist Carl Rowan tells about a teacher who greatly influenced his life. Rowan wrote: Miss Thompson reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a piece of paper containing a quote attributed to Chicago architect Daniel Burnham. I listened intently as she read: “Make no little plans; they have […]
Many years ago, we had two foster daughters come live with our family. They were sisters ages four and six. They came from a really rough neighborhood – a really rough family situation. But I remember one day driving down the road – coming home from school. Lili, the youngest starts to sing this song […]
In the prophet Isaiah, we read this promise: For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be […]
