Many years ago now, we had two foster children come live with our family for several months. They were sisters, ages four and six, who came from a rough family situation. I’ll never forget we were driving down the road one morning and the four-year-old started singing this song that we had sung in church, […]
There is a story about a mother who happened to overhear her fifth-grade son’s bedtime prayer. She had gone upstairs to check on him and paused for just a moment outside his room. She heard him praying: “Let it be Tokyo! Please God, let it be Tokyo!” When he finished his prayers, she stuck her […]
I love the old Family Circus comic strip where the little boy says to his sister, “Yesterday is the past. Tomorrow is the future. And, today is the present. That’s why they call it a gift!” Sometime back, a friend sent me an email titled, “Affirmation for Today”, by an unknown author. In part it […]
I recently re-read my friend Herb Mesa’s autobiography. It was very moving and powerful. Today, I want to share a small piece of this with you. Herb was fighting with the Marines in the South Pacific in World War II. They had invaded the island of Saipan, and after a long gut-wrenching night in the […]
In the book of James, it is written, “Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of […]
In the Gospel of Luke (chapter 1:78), we read these beautiful words spoken by Zechariah: By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” […]
In the 1600’s a monk named Brother Lawrence wrote a series of letters that were collected and titled, “Practicing the Presence of God.” These letters have been inspirational to many over the years. In one of these letters, he wrote: “Never tire of doing even the smallest things for God, because God isn’t impressed so […]
There’s an old story about a man headed home in the crowded coach of a train. He noticed the young man sitting next to him by the window looked tired and a little anxious. Trying to be friendly, the man struck up a conversation with the boy. It turns out that the young man had […]
I remember several years ago, I was leading a Sunday morning class in which we talked about family traditions at Christmas time. Of course, some traditions can feel soul-killing. But no doubt, other traditions add greater meaning and depth to the season. One of the families talked about having an Advent wreath on their dining […]
The great preacher and writer Harry Emerson Fosdick once told about visiting with a teenage girl who had contracted polio. As Fosdick and this young woman spoke, she shared another conversation she had had earlier with a friend. The friend made the statement, “Affliction does so color life.” The young woman responded, “I agree. But […]
