When I was 16, I was invited to play softball for a team called the “Christian 9” – which never made a whole lot of sense to me since the league always fielded 10 players on the diamond at a time – because of the Short Fielder – and we only had a total of … [Read more…]

Whenever there are five Sundays in a month(August 30th switched to September 6th), we celebrate our Lord in a different fashion. Instead of the usual order of service that includes a 30-minute sermon, our Praise Band leads us in singing several contemporary songs that are interspersed with prayers of thanksgiving and praise “from the floor.” … [Read more…]

We’ve all probably wished we had enjoyed the privilege of attending some notable historical event. Maybe you would’ve liked to have stood in solemn respect on that battlefield in Gettysburg when our then President Lincoln delivered his immortal address, or sat with awe inside Westminster Abbey during Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, or golfed on the … [Read more…]

We’ve all heard and probably wrestled with the question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” I’m going to slightly modify this question to better reflect reality: “Why do bad things happen to all people?” Nobody lives their entire lifetime without periodic episodes of bad things blindsiding us at the most unwelcome times. I guess you’ve … [Read more…]

Every morning I pray for an 8-year old boy in Bangladesh named Ripon. I follow this 31-day calendar that helps me pray intelligently for him as it spells out one specific request for each day. Here are some of those requests and look for a common theme: “To feel loved and protected, to have good … [Read more…]