Something I read early on in my sabbatical really struck me. Apparently, years ago, the English scientist Rupert Sheldrake was asked what single change he would recommend for the new millennium that could make a difference to the world. His reply was that every tourist should become a pilgrim. Of course in some places we […]
In his book, Will Daylight Come?, Richard Hoefler tells a story about a young boy who was visiting his grandparents. The boy was given a slingshot as a gift, and while he was out practicing in the woods he found he was having a terrible time hitting his target. As he came back to Grandma’s […]
In one of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips, Calvin walked into the living room where his father was sitting in a chair reading. Calvin announces: “I’ve concluded that nothing bad that I do is my fault.” Dad’s curiosity is peaked, so Dad says, “Oh?” Calvin continues: “Right! Being young and impressionable, I’m the helpless […]
There is a Charlie Brown comic strip in which Lucy and her brother Linus have just finished a chicken dinner and Lucy is explaining to Linus how to make a wish on the wishbone. “This is a wishbone, Linus,” she says. “We both make our wishes and then pull it apart. Whoever breaks off the […]
You may remember the story about a mom making pancakes for her two sons, ages 4 and 6. The boys begin to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw an opportunity for a little life lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, he would say, “Let my brother have the first pancake, […]
While on my sabbatical last summer, my daughters and I had the opportunity to surf in the North Sea off the rugged coastline of Scotland. The water was emerald green, the sheer rocky cliffs dropped directly into the water, and pasture land rolled right up to the shore. The waves were powerful and well formed […]
One of the deepest longings of the human soul is the longing to be seen, and to be loved, and to be accepted. Aristotle said that if you could have all the goods the world could give you, but had to have them without friendship, you’d chose not to have the goods. There would be […]
A business professor told her class that she was going to give a quiz on the subject of time management. She pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouthed Mason jar and set it on a table. Then she carefully placed about a dozen golfball-sized rocks into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and […]
In my Dial Hope message yesterday, I shared a story about how a young man who was addicted to drugs had a turning point when he found himself weeping on the street. Tears are often turning points. If you do a word study, you will find that the Bible is actually full of tears. Abraham […]
My friend Amy Camp shared a story with me about a friend she met while traveling in South Africa. He was in the AA recovery movement, and he shared his story with her. He said he moved to New York City as a young man and, even though he came from a good family back […]
