One of the unexpected blessings of singing in the choir is getting to see the whole congregation. The Prince of Peace choir loft is to the side of the sanctuary and slightly elevated (think wide, shallow steps, with each step deep enough for a chair). From my perch in the second row, alto section, ...
I recently had a conversation with a friend who moved to California for her husband’s career. A few months ago, her husband unexpectedly resigned his job and is currently receiving unemployment as he looks for a new job. As my friend described the upheaval in her life, I ...
Family traditions are a big contributor to a person’s identity. I do not come from a family with lots of traditions, and neither does my wife, Nancy. We have a couple of very good ones, however, and we really value them. They tell you a lot about us. The number one big tradition in ...
The week-long summer enrichment program at the Village of Hope in Haiti is over, and I am back home surrounded by my “stuff.” While I was gone, my daughter and sister-in-law snuck in and spent days in my house, rooting out and disposing of a bunch of the “stuff” that ...
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!... Psalm 139:17 A few months ago, I downloaded the cast recording of the popular Broadway musical Hamilton. Now I’m a wee bit obsessed with it. On the surface, the concept sounds ridiculous: a musical about a ...
Peter and John answered and said unto them, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Acts 4:19-20 Can you imagine having such fervor? So much fervor you can't stop yourself from talking endlessly about whatever has stirred within your heart and changed ...
A Jim Carrey tweet is working its way through the Internet. “I wish everyone could get rich and famous and have everything they ever dreamed of so they would know that’s not the answer.” A few months ago, a young social media star posted a nearly 20-minute You Tube video ...
(Inspired by Psalm 23) As I walk through a long Winding road, darkness Overtakes it. I shudder as fear overwhelms Every inch in my being. Suddenly, I am touched by an All surpassing warmth. A light touches the place Where my feet meet the ...
I belong to a missional community and we were asked to take one photo that illustrated shalom. In the interest of full disclosure, my photo is somewhat deceiving. An instant earlier, my granddaughter Hope had darted from the scene. Just two seconds later, the little girl in the picture, my ...
Last Christmas, I started playing the game Candy Crush on my phone. I know, I know, all you tech-savvy people are rolling your eyes. Candy Crush is so 2012. But, hey, I’ve never followed—or let’s be honest, even known about—the latest and coolest fads, and at 45 years old, ...