Mostly I avoid getting involved in discussions about parenting, because opinions are a dime a dozen although dearly held and too often used to hurt people. Parenting is the hardest job I've ever done, and one that unfortunately receives more judgment than grace from many. However, recently a friend emailed me about a child-training boot-camp …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 2 of 2
As a teenager, I worked in an upscale nursing home. The facilities were modern, the work-load reasonable, and the patient care was excellent. I felt lucky to work in such a clean and well-run place. Yet my time there was marked by a very dark spot. One of my residents was a sweet elderly lady …
Continue reading Why I don’t teach my children unquestioning obedience, Part 1 of 2
My stomach growled with hunger and my feet hurt from a busy twelve-hour shift, but I resisted the urge to go home and collapse. Instead I crept into the soft glow of the sanctuary at the Methodist church a few blocks from work. It was Ash Wednesday, and I remembered how the service last year …
I have always viewed a spiritual wilderness as a blessing in disguise; an intensely painful and lonely place, yes, but a good place.The wilderness is a place or season in our lives where God strips away what is precious to us so that we are able to hear Him. Many times in the Bible, God …
Joel Horst: I’m thrilled to share a guest post from a friend who works in the foster care system in another state. Having heard story after heartrending story, stories I had never realized were part of everyday life for some kids, I offered to host a guest post if my friend wanted to write one. …
Continue reading What No One Ever Told Me About The Foster System
“Lord, to whom else would we go? You have the words that give eternal life.” (John 6:68) We were halfway through our four-day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. We were long past the beauty of the Potomac River, but too far from civilization or the promise of pizza to quicken our steps. It was …
Continue reading Hearing the Voice of Jesus, by Ryan McKelvey
Some say that God's voice always results on us falling on our faces with the force of His glory; that if we doubt it is His voice, we haven't heard Him. And they have a point--the awesome presence of God is capable of melting us in an instance. I have felt that force. But I …
Our small group sat around the polished wood table, eating Subway sandwiches and kettle-cooked chips off paper plates. Licking up the last crumbs, the little children hopped off their chairs and ran to the kitchen to claim an ice cream cone. While ice cream dripped and children wiggled in their seats, Will turned the conversation …
Formal churches may be dying out, but people want Jesus. They want Him badly. God is still active, and the opportunity to cooperate with Him in the workplace is so strong that my heart twists painfully whenever I hear of yet another denominationally-centered business. Some denominations use their unique strengths to build empires for their …
Continue reading Bringing the Gospel to the Marketplace (part 3 of 3)
For some time now, I've tried to slow down when I'm shopping. I don't like shopping all that well, so my inclination is to fly around the store with my cart, grab my goodies, and whiz out the door while ignoring people as much as possible. But one day I realized that when I shop, …
Continue reading Bringing the Gospel to the Marketplace (part 2 of 3)
