god

Against the Wind

Scripture Focus: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” — Isaiah 26:3 David had spent nearly four years helping design one of the tallest buildings in the city, but on the night the typhoon arrived, all those calculations suddenly felt much more personal. The…
It Takes A Herd

Scripture Focus: “…Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” — Matthew 22:39 A baby elephant never walks alone. While it has one mother, the entire herd steps in as a village. Females guide, protect, and nurture the little ones as a team. When trouble strikes, nobody stops to ask whose job it is to fix…
I Had 999 Reasons to Be Happy

Scripture Focus: “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18 There is a peculiar kind of madness that comes over me after I have spent countless hours and several long evenings putting together a 1,000-piece puzzle, only to discover that piece number…
Not Quite… Not Quite… TOO LATE!

Scripture Focus: “Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.” — Proverbs 3:28 There are few foods that demand quite as much attention as an avocado. On Monday, a man brings home a beautiful one from the grocery store already tasting the…
The Junk Drawer Solution

Scripture Focus: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh.” — Ezekiel 11:19 Every home has a repair drawer. It may not officially be called that—I call mine…
The Crooked Cart

Scripture Focus: “I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.” — Psalm 119:59 There is always one shopping cart in the row that looks perfectly respectable until you commit to it. At first, nothing seems wrong. Four wheels. Clean basket. No mysterious sticky substance on the handle. You pull it free,…
Who’s Driving This Thing?

Scripture Focus: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom…” — Colossians 3:16 Imagine climbing into your car tomorrow morning, settling into the passenger seat, and handing the keys to the first person who happens along. “Where are we going?” you ask. “Oh, don’t worry. I know the way.” Well, that…
Apparently, I Missed the Fine Print

I have been looking through my “Welcome to a New Life in Christ” packet, and apparently I am missing a page. You know the one. YOUR NEW MEMBER BENEFITS! Congratulations on your decision to follow Jesus! Please enjoy your complimentary lifetime package, which includes financial security, excellent health, agreeable relatives, cooperative children, painless aging, answered…
Hot August Nights

There is a particular kind of heat that belongs to August. Not ordinary summer heat. August heat has tenure. It has unpacked its bags, changed its mailing address, and apparently has no intention of leaving. By late afternoon, the sidewalk looks offended. The flowers have stopped pretending to be cheerful. Even the birds seem to…
When God Says It Is Gone

Scripture Focus: “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 I wonder how many sins God has forgiven that we are still trying to serve time for. There are things we have confessed honestly, grieved deeply, and brought to God with no…