Category: featured
-
Anniversary, Flamenco and Unborn Symphonies
It took us more than 20 years, but finally, we got to Andalucía. Ever since we lived in Spain we have wanted to see this beautiful part of Southern Spain, but as we were ‘Peter missionaries’ – remember? The ‘silver and gold I do not have’ kind? – we could never afford to travel through…
-
25 Years and I Still Do
25 years ago, I married my best friend. I am 45 years old and I have spent 29 of them with this amazing man. All our kids are now older than I was when I met Thomas. Come on! Just saying it out loud sounds so weird and at the same time, so wonderfully right.…
-
How Do I Know that God is Real?
I have a dear friend who recently found her way back to the Father. Now she was confused and angry. “I don’t know what to do about this whole faith issue. Whenever I hear people in church talk about how they encounter God, I think to myself, “That is not my experience! I’ve never met…
-
Friends, Fresh Eyes and Revival in a Cup
It was her first service at our church. I had met her in the hallway, encouraging her to go into the sanctuary. She was reluctant. After all, she was tired and ready to go home. I gently pushed her along, if not physically, at least emotionally. She was a dear friend and I really wanted…
-
In the Aftermath of Hatred
Suddenly, there was a chilling gust from the past. The pointed hoods and pitchforks were replaced by baseball caps and dark sunglasses. Racism somehow got domesticated. Explicable. Understandable. The white nationalist march and subsequent murder of a young woman made us all scream with horror and indignation. I wonder if we would have been equally…
-
Tongue-clicking Fools and Other Heroes
I popped by a furniture shop to look for a few things. As I ventured in between beds and sofas I overheard a conversation between two employees. One seemed to be the manager, a tall man in his forties, while the other was younger, energetic, and slightly anxious. I guessed that the younger man was…
-
The Landmine in Our Garden
We were on our way to our cabin for a few days of rest when a text message from our neighbor ticked in. “Thomas, I studied the new deck you’ve been working on. Right next to it there’s a device that looks very much like a WWII landmine. Shouldn’t professionals deal with that?” Attached was…
-
Splinters, Beams, and the Christian Woodchopping Industry
In a recent conversation, someone asked me to condemn someone I didn’t know for a specific sin committed by that person. I agreed that what had happened was not biblical, but went on to saying that I truly felt sorry for that someone and that it was not up to me to judge him or…
-
Maintenance of the Heart
Adrian was helping his dad with some outdoors maintenance. I heard the hissing noise of muffled teenage complaints, followed by Thomas’ calm voice, “But you haven’t secured the ladder! By shifting its position, you make sure that it won’t slip or fall.” More grumpy hissing. As I passed by, I commented, “It’s OK, Adrian. But…
-
Stopping for the One
We had been playing with the kids in the village and painted the finger nails of dozens of girls and a few boys. There’s a lot of love that goes into the eye contact, the smiles, the holding of hands, and finally, the applying of nail polish. No language needed. Just being present in the…