How to find hope in the most hopeless of situations? The letters that South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela sent during his 27 years in prison have recently been published, and they offer extraordinary insights into the soul of a … Continue reading →
So often I think of prayer as something I do with my eyes closed but recently I was reminded that it was easy to do with my head up, eyes wide open and my gaze directed at a painting. I … Continue reading →
Think all prayers should be lofty? Think prayers should be just praise and thanksgiving? Think your prayers should only contain positive thoughts? Think again. A complaint can be a prayer. Take a look at the Psalms. There are 150 of … Continue reading →
At a church committee meeting we were asking ourselves, what brings about spiritual growth? Various theories were floated about. But then Brian, a very thoughtful 30-something, said, “Suffering.” I hated to admit it, but in many ways he’s right. Those … Continue reading →
I had a boss who once asked me to compile a list of all the people who had helped me in my job in the past year. Not only that, he wanted me to write down exactly how and what … Continue reading →
My dad always did this and it brought no end of embarrassment to my adolescent self. He waved good-morning to the neighbor across the street, he said good-morning to the stranger in the elevator at the parking garage, he almost … Continue reading →
Fear sells. It’s worth remembering when you pick up the newspaper and gaze at the headlines or scroll down an article on a news site or hear the drumbeat of the upcoming news story on TV. It always sounds terrible … Continue reading →
There’s a season for everything,” goes the book of Ecclesiastes, “a time for mourning and a time for dancing.” It seems like the two are back-to-back in the calendar this year, with dancing, then mourning. First comes Valentine’s Day, February … Continue reading →
“You’re never more like Jesus than when you pray for others,” Max Lucado says in his new book Before Amen. When I read those words I thought, “Wow,” then paused and asked, “Do I really feel like Jesus when I … Continue reading →
I walk through Times Square all the time. Truth to tell, I walk through Times Square usually in a huge hurry to make a train and generally filled with irritation at some slow-moving, camera-wielding, rubber-necking tourist who is hogging the … Continue reading →
