I got to go up to the Blue Ridge Parkway with some relatives this past weekend. It was a great time, not just because the views were amazing, but because it was with people I love. Between every view was…
Stewarding Power
If you hang out in the circles where people “think green,” you’ll probably hear the phrase, “environmental stewardship.” It refers to careful use of natural resources and the protection of the natural environment. The idea is that we have been…
A Voice Behind You
I recently read the verse Isaiah 30:21: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”” It was a lightbulb moment for me. …
You’re Not Alone!
One of the tactics of the spirit of the age that I see so often these days is a tendency toward isolation. I see it pop up in many places under many different names: Some believe that if only everyone…
Take a Breather! (But Don’t Stay There)
When I was in my late teens and early 20s, I was very goal-oriented. Almost everything I did, I did with a goal in mind. Crafts turned into Christmas and birthday presents, books were useful to educate myself on whatever…
Faith and Authority
We hear a lot about authority as Christians. It seems every Christian organization has its own definition of what Biblical authority is and what being under authority looks like. I’ve been in places where the pastor was the supreme authority;…
The Creativity of Creating the World
I heard a podcast with a famous Christian songwriter a few weeks ago. The interviewer (a musician in his own right) asked the songwriter about how he wrote songs. The songwriter summed up his thoughts with this statement: “To me,…
Comfort is Ours in Abundance
This morning, I was reading 2 Corinthians 1 in the Amplified Bible (because it’s a fun new take on more traditional versions). I especially enjoyed verses 3-7: 3 Blessed [gratefully praised and adored] be the God and Father of our Lord…
Knowing the Story
Last fall, I went to Death Valley National Park. One of the “must do” hikes on my list was up to the Keane Wonder Mine. It’s not that we’ve never done it before – I’d say we were in the…
Loving the Unlovable
I heard a story not too long ago from a Christian man who had traveled to a part of the world where there is a lot of sin – the kind of sin that even non-Christians would say was wrong. …