Deep Down We Know

Deep Down We Know

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer 29:11). We insist we were meant to be a world-famous scientist who cures some deadly disease. And yet, somehow, here we...
An Open Letter to My Father for Thanksgiving

An Open Letter to My Father for Thanksgiving

The following was first published five years ago. It has been slightly modified to fit the current holiday season… Holidays are intended to be joyful—a time of peace, reflection, and above all, savoring relationships. However, far too often, and after years of...
How Matters Really Stand

How Matters Really Stand

C.S. Lewis once wrote, “My feeling about people in whose conversion I have been allowed to play a part is always mixed with awe and even fear: such as a boy might feel on first being allowed to fire a rifle. The disproportion between his puny finger on the trigger and...

A Brief Commentary on a Brief Comment

I often hear from a wide swath of Christian sources the glorious quote: “Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.” Most often it is attributed to St. Francis of Assisi—founder of the Franciscan Order. And when I hear it, it is usually accompanied with...

Praying for Melinda

The other day I had an ordinary experience that was extraordinary. Aren’t they all? The story is a simple one and perhaps not unlike stories you have lived. She said her name was Melinda. I was having coffee with a friend when a downcast and weary...