-
Little Steps
I hadn’t seen my friend in a while. She looked good. I asked if she’d lost weight.“Yes.”I asked how.“I started watching what I ate. And I ate a little less.” She was at least the third person in a handful of weeks who I’d noticed looking stronger, more confident, and fit. All of them said something similar. They made a few changes over a long period. Changes so small that no one really noticed the first six months. Typically, I would prefer a new dress size the first day I skip dessert, but that isn’t genuine change. It’s a miracle. Little Compromises Have you ever been warned that small compromises…
-
BAD GIRL
I can’t understand why she cares so much about the admittedly inappropriate nature of the name we’ve chosen. I rack my brain, trying to make sense of this attitude I’m getting from her. Why these waves of criticism crashing toward me from across the desk?
-
Bring Characters To Life
This is Sarah. Sarah is a tall blonde biker chick who wears black leather and a ridiculously bright bum bag. This bum bag makes me very happy, and I started taking pictures of it. I even suggested it needs its own photo album. Now, when she travels, Sarah takes pictures of the bum bag on the beach, or on the mantle of a fireplace in a Victorian restaurant. She calls her photo collection, “Fanny Pack Adventures.” So whenever the people I ride with are supposed to be getting on our bikes to go, Sarah might be missing, taking pictures, and the road captain points at me. “You started this.” I…
-
Ponder This–Discovering Christ in You
It is impossible to be “in Christ” and not have “Christ in you.”
-
CHAPEL OF THE SACRED BRAMBLE
Like a wary desert leopard, the monastery crouched halfway up Mount Sinai’s rocky slope. Judas eyed the rugged peak and wondered if those who built the hermitage thought they would somehow protect Moses’ sacred encounters with Jehovah. The full moon hovered just above the barren mountain, casting a silver glow against the monastery wall and the noiseless structures contained within.
-
Overcoming Doubt: The Writer’s Joy
The novel writer’s journey comes with doubt. What if they don’t like my story? What if I’m not a good writer? Sometimes the concerns attack like a chihuahua nipping at your ankles. At other times, it feels as if a wolf pack is hunting you down. Even a seasoned novelist who is about to launch their 80th novel feels trepidation. There are two major issues about these feelings. Imagining troubles ahead is often a problem. You’re borrowing the possibilities of tomorrow to disrupt the flow of today. And yet, these emotions of doubt are real. That’s why the Bible gives us a powerful prescription on how to deal with these…
-
One Note
There are two versions of the same song on this album I own. The first version is slow and soulful, the other one has a techno beat. I like the techno version, it’s different, interesting. But the soulful one has something the other doesn’t—one note. I was listening to this album the other day while I was driving around, my phone was on shuffle and the two versions just happened to play in succession. At one point, I turned to the person riding with me and said, “That note, right there. That is why this version is my favorite.” My passenger raised an eyebrow, the artist I was listening to…
-
John Wayne Lives
He pulled his billfold from his back pocket, retrieved the tattered paper and carefully unfolded it. “This says I won the lottery…a hundred thousand dollars.”
-
So You Want To Be A Writer
Every journey begins with the first step. If your shoelaces are tied together, the first step may result in a tumble, injury, and a lifetime of medical bills. Tied shoelaces are not the best way to begin a journey. So, you want to be a writer. Where do you begin? How do you keep from tripping over your own feet? Think of the word write as a noun (I’m a writer!) and then as a verb (I write). The Writer: Now Write: Writing is a bit like jogging. Your first run may feel a bit more elegant than it looks to the observer. Who cares? Write. Then do it again…
-
With His Words…
(By Ray Ellis, Pastor) The creative and effective use of words can be an avenue of escape and a road of deliverance.
