Category: Christian Life
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Even This Stone – An Easter meditation; Grootfontein, Namibia
Lil’s P’s cowboy boots slipped on the side of the rock, belying its composition of pure metal. We didn’t expect to befall a space treasure on our Namibia trip, but it happened to be on a not-too-distant detour on the route from Windhoek to Rundu. We followed signs from the highway and when we arrived,…
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Where is the treasure in Christmas?
Every year I am struck by the one-liner about Mary in Luke’s account of the Christmas story, the one line that gives a hint of how she responded to the unfolding events. She rode a donkey while full-term pregnant, traveled far from home, pushed out a baby (as my children call it) in a barn,…
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Perspective in the Midst of Transition
Transition. The word makes me tense. Our family is currently in the midst of transition, relocating from Eastern Europe to Southern California. For many, the end of summer signals an impending transition – families moving, new neighbors, new church, new job, new house with a different floor plan. For some, transition does not include a…
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Facing the Device
One early morning in June, just as the sun highlighted the red-tiled roofs of Lisbon, I walked down the street to a pastry cafe, pastelaria. Elderly folks chatted at the counter with the barista, who had been up since 5am receiving the pastry and bread delivery. A middle-aged man read the paper. Two women walked…
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It’s Easter this side of the Schism
Everything is cancelled this week. School, programs, events, regular meetings. Talk to friends, “Can you get together?” Sorry, we’re busy getting ready for Easter. What could you possibly be doing for an entire week to prepare for Easter? By default, I viewed their Easter preparations through my cultural lens. This celebration was far in the…
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Thinking Biblically in an election year, no matter where you live
Like millions of people outside the United States, I am watching the U.S. elections from afar but with great interest. Given the headlines and the articles on my news feed, on any given day my emotions can range from incredulity and disgust to pangs of dread over the potential outcome. As a student of political…
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February in Eastern Europe
This month we crossed the Danube River by ferry and spent a weekend in beautiful Sofia, Bulgaria. February is still technically winter, but most Europeans will attest that this winter has been extremely mild. February ushered in an early spring. When we visited Bulgaria, the snow was gone and the breeze was warm. But…
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Read any dead people lately?
In recent years I have been reading – relishing, absorbing and studying – books by or about Christians who have long since died. Several years ago when I completed the contract for my full-time employment and chose not to return to the job market, I purposed to read more classics on Christianity, theology and the…
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The Flower Fork and other lessons from 2015
A year is a long time. I don’t remember many details from the first few months of the year, much less details of life last month. I offer this short list as a sampling of things I remember that have made an impression on me this year, things that have instructed or informed my opinions,…
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What Do You Have to Show for the Year?
Before the last presents are open and the turkey is still hot on the bone, we start thinking about goals and resolutions for next year. However, before we long for the changes the future might bring, it is important to reflect on the previous year. We often look back on last year with a mental…
will travel with kids 