I was struck by an excerpt written by a soldier who had been wounded in the American Civil War. He was writing about seeing President Lincoln who had made a visit to the hospital where he lay in recovery. This soldier wrote, “I had a good home, and I had learned in church that God […]
In an old BC Comic Strip, the caveman poet sits under a tree and pens the following poem: “When nobody seems to love you, and trouble is everywhere, When skies turn dark above you, and joy turns to despair, When everything just falls apart, and no one seems to care, Just look deep inside your […]
Today, I am deeply grateful for those of you who have supported the Dial Hope Foundation with a financial donation. Hope reaches others because of you. Thank you! The book of James instructs us, “Be slow to speak, quick to listen.” Sometimes we’re like the couple who were sitting with some friends and the subject […]
When we were in Scotland last summer, there was a huge celebration for the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. There were parades and other celebrations in big cities – even special pastries in the stores! But I think we were a little taken aback by how in the church services we attended, there was […]
In his book, The Te of Piglet, Benjamin Hoff tells a funny story about how a Hindu, a Rabbi, and a Critic were traveling separately through the countryside late one afternoon they were all three caught in a terrific thunderstorm. They sought shelter at a nearby farmhouse. “That storm will be raging for hours.” The […]
In a Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown and Linus are standing next to each other, staring at a star-filled sky. “Would you like to see a falling star?” Charlie Brown asks Linus. “Sure…” Linus responds. “Then again, I don’t know,” he adds, after some thought. “I’d hate to have it fall just on my account.” In […]
I was talking to my friend Rusty some time back and he was telling me about how they had a guest pastor come to speak at his church. This pastor shared that when he was three years old, his dad left home and he didn’t see him again for something like thirty years. When he […]
In one of his sermons, Rev. King Duncan tells the story of a child psychologist and a boy who was brought in to see him. The boy had been labeled “incorrigible.” He was moody, and at first, wouldn’t even talk to the psychologist. His own father said, “This is the only child I’ve ever seen […]
The poet and philosopher John O’Donohue really gets at this for me when he writes about what he calls a second innocence. This innocence is different from the first innocence we have as children. That innocence is based on naive trust. The second innocence can be developed only later in life when you lived deeply. […]
John R. Brokhoff tells a story about the great pianist, Paderewski. Apparently, Paderewski had a friend whose little girl was preparing for a piano recital. Out of respect for his friend, he accepted an invitation to the little girl’s recital. However, when the day came and she saw the famous pianist in the audience, she […]
