On the Edges of the Bible Most of us are familiar with the major heroes of the Bible– Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Peter and Paul, and many others. These are the people taught about in Sunday School lessons and preached on over and over in Sunday sermons. But sometimes my attention is drawn to the … Read more
Want Stronger Faith? Have you ever wondered why some Christians seem to have such strong faith? They talk confidently about God’s promises. They pray with expectation. They trust God even when life gets difficult. Meanwhile, others love the Lord just as much but struggle to believe that God will come through for them. Why is … Read more
(…And Grateful For It) Like millions of Americans, I grew up Catholic. We were not nominal Christmas-and-Easter-only Catholics. We went to Confession several times a month, and attended Mass every weekend, as well as Holy Days of Obligation (special days where attendance at Mass was mandatory). As a child I participated in CCD classes (the Catholic … Read more
Finding Peace In The Middle Of Life’s Upheaval Life can change in an instant. One moment everything feels predictable, normal, steady. The next moment, you’re facing unexpected stress, heartbreak, uncertainty, or emotional exhaustion. Maybe it’s a sudden death, a financial struggle, a broken relationship, a health issue, or simply the overwhelming weight of everyday life … Read more
A Christ-Centered Growth Mindset Makes Change Possible Have you ever felt like you’ve hit a wall– mentally, emotionally, even spiritually? The good news is that God never designed us to stay stuck. Through Him we are constantly being reshaped, refined, and renewed. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase “growth mindset.” Psychology Today defines it as “the belief that … Read more
Entering the Promised Land We all have a Promised Land to enter. It’s the place where we achieve our God-given purpose, the place where we become all that God intends us to be, the place where we receive all that God has for us. But in order to enter our Promised Land, there’s something … Read more
“Minor” Characters? I’ve been a Christian most of my life, and I’ve done a lot of Bible reading. I’ve read through the entire Bible numerous times in various translations, and I’ve benefitted from Bible studies taught by excellent pastors. The Word of God is very familiar to me. Many of us know about what might … Read more
The Post-Pandemic Church I come from a generation that grew up going to church. It was the cultural norm. As a kid, I only knew of one person in our neighborhood who did not attend church. My, how times have changed. Church attendance had been declining for several decades, but the pandemic of 2020 accelerated … Read more
Memories…of the Way We Were Our beloved Nana lived to be almost 102 years old. It was such a blessing to care for her in the final years of her life. I remember her saying that the older you are, the more you think of the past. Now that I’m a senior citizen, I’m … Read more
Nowhere To Go? This weekend we had a really nice visit with some family members. One of them was Aunt Theresa. She’s my wife’s aunt (does that make her my aunt-in-law?) Anyway, we asked if she could stay for a bit, and her response was, “I’ve got nowhere to go and all day to get … Read more