Faith on the Zip-line

In the scouts, a long, long time ago, we called them aerial runways. Consisting of a rope, or cable, strung between two trees; one end high, the other end low, with a pulley, harness belt, and a profound (sometimes misguided) trust in your own skill with knots. Whenever we constructed a new one, there was […]

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Worshipping with Spiritual Integrity

A cold war existed between the Jews and Samaritans when it came to the issue of worship. The woman at the well distinguished the dividing line in this worship war: “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain [Mount Gerizim], and you people say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). […]

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Rahab: Demonstrating Courageous Faith

She had a reputation no woman would ever want: she was a harlot, a prostitute. But she was also a woman whose courage and faith in God would transcend her reputation and place her in the lineage of the Messiah. Rahab owned a house, built on the outer walls of Jericho. When two Israelite spies […]

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Surviving “Survival Mode”

The book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst is a humorous children’s story about a boy named Alexander who has “one of those days.” Nothing, I mean nothing, goes right for him. From the time he pops out of bed in the morning until he crawls back into […]

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“Lord, Are You Sure?”

Recently, my son Jonathan began asking a particular question after almost everything I said. He asks his question, then follows my answer by asking, “Are you sure?” “Mom, can I go outside?” “Sure.” “Are you sure?” “Yes.” “Mom, can I eat breakfast?” “Absolutely; dive in.” “Are you sure?” “I’m sure.” “Mom, can I play X-Box?” […]

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Prayer – Letting Your Compass Rest

Did you know that a compass needle is just a little magnet that aligns itself with the much larger magnetic field of the earth? What’s more, you can confuse and distract a compass needle by bringing another magnet near. The distracting pull of something like a fridge magnet drags the compass needle off its true […]

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Ghosts and the Gospel

Be silent in that solitude, Which is not loneliness—for then The spirits of the dead who stood In life before thee are again In death around thee—and their will Shall overshadow thee: be still.1 For many, Halloween is a fun time of telling ghost stories, passing out candy to little ghouls and goblins who come […]

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Finding a Middle Way through the Midway

With excitement in her eyes, Sarah kissed her parents goodbye. John and Judy’s decision to let their sixteen-year-old daughter attend the girls’ summer art camp wasn’t difficult. They had heard great things about the program and believed it was an excellent opportunity. Then John and Judy learned the famous art camp was a magnet for […]

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