I sit in a hospital room in Asia. The elderly Indonesian man has just been transferred there from ICU. I try to move a chair next to the bed so his wife can sit next to him. It is hard for him to move his foot over to make space for her. But he does it anyway and tells me…
I sit on large stones overlooking the sea. I came to the beach to pray, but I’m not the only one praying, and God is not the only one being worshiped here. A South Asian Hindu couple beat me here and they are in the middle of a ritual, so I sit on the rocks and wait before walking along…
Ever surprised to find out someone else has the same struggle you do? I am still finding my footing on this whole “parenting older/adult children” thing. The other day I discovered I’m not alone. While talking with a friend who is in the same season, I realized there are more of “us” out there than I’d known. My friend gave…
House, children, family, food, the latest gossip. These are the things that matter most to a particular group of ladies whom I call my neighbor friends. Yes, they will engage in conversation about abstract things like religion, sin, and heaven. But this doesn’t really get them on a deep level. That’s surface and irrelevant (to them). For sure these topics…
I am free! I don’t know when he last brushed his teeth, or if he remembered to floss. My son is growing up. I used to know every little detail of his day and was an active participant of everything from washing his ears to wiping his tears. Now we sit across the table from each other, sipping coffee…paid for…
Today I take courage from Martha’s unsteady faith. Martha and Mary, dear friends of Jesus (Jn. 11:5) sent word to him that their brother Lazarus was ill (11:3). If you are familiar with this story, you’ll know Jesus did not come right away. In fact, by the time he arrived at their home in Bethany, Lazarus had already died and…
“Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15 Song of Solomon is a poem of love between a man and woman. But we know also that marriage is a reflection of Christ and the church…Christ and us. So perhaps there is spiritual application within the lines…
Sin and its consequences I’ve watched the cruel consequences of sin strike the lives of people I know. Sin never affects only one person. As far as I can tell, even for one sin, many people have to “pay up”; there is a cost for more people than just the one who sinned. As disciples of Christ, we are forgiven…
Do you love to read? I usually have at least one paperback book, kindle book, and audio book that I am reading at any given time. I go through phases of reading and taking a break from reading. But I am in a “I love to read” phase now. Here are the books I read in 2018 from least favorite…
These days I enjoy the Christmas Carols piped through the speakers at the grocery store and in the malls. Here in Malaysia, there is “no problem” with acknowledging Christmas and no one seems to replace that word with “Holiday” or “Season”. It’s refreshing. On the flip side, the grocery stores and malls are “equal opportunity” places, so we also listen…
