Stories from a Good Life
Ordinary people – extraordinary God
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How do You Hold On to Faith in the Dark Season?
Things changed. Life got difficult. You lost someone. Suddenly, your employer didn’t need your services anymore. Your friends left. Your kids grew up and moved on with their lives, leaving you insecure of your identity. Maybe the changes took place within you? Cancer stole your dreams for the future. The accident left your body unable…
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Sharpening Iron
My kids have always had their fair share of arguments. That doesn’t bother me, after all, they argue a lot less than I used to do as a kid. (Not that I’m ever going to admit that to my kids, that would be like putting my head on the block. *Note to self: should I…
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Honor and Disagreement
A few days ago, I listened to an excellent talk on the significance of disagreement. The speaker spoke of how important it was to allow for different opinions to be heard, and how Christians need to make sure not to surround themselves with like-minded people only. Jesus instructed us to be salt and light; to…
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The Lesson of the Chimes
When traveling a few years ago I picked up a set of wind chimes from a local art store. I wasn’t particularly fond of chimes, but I just couldn’t avoid these. Literally. As I entered the store I turned somewhat abruptly and banged my head into them. They were big and made quite an impact.…
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The Sound of Heaven
I had downloaded a few old Christmas songs on my phone and were playing them over the sound system at home. Some had a fifties’ bluegrass feel to them and the sound of the guitar made me smile. All of a sudden I jumped to my feet. The strum pattern was the exact same my…
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Coming Home
We had been in and out of hospitals for 6 months, and Adrian had been through countless exams and several surgeries. We were used to the long days and the even longer nights at the hospital. It was like being trapped in a bubble; the world outside hardly existed. We had finally regained some kind…
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The Gift No-one Else can Give
I feel I’ve been wrapping gifts for weeks. There’s not all that many, but I’ve spent days and weeks thinking about what to get for each of my loved ones. What do they want? What would make them happy? Is there any gift that I could give them that would make them feel known and…
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The Stories We Tell Ourselves
One of our sons was due to start in a new school. He dreaded it and looked forward to it at the same time. He wondered if he would make new friends, if they would be better than him at soccer, if the teacher would understand his handwriting – all those important questions that urgently…
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Stuck in the Middle of Nowhere
A couple of months ago I was fascinated to read about potential ghost ships sailing around the world. A South Korean shipping company was in dire straits and unable to meet financial obligations, which resulted in port authorities banning 70 container movers and 15 bulk ships from unloading their cargo. According to major news outlets,…
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The Slayer of Entitlement
“Because I’m worth it!” The catchy phrase from the well-known commercial stuck with this generation. Not necessarily in a good way, though. More like in an annoying, self-entitled, spoiled, bratty way. How could self-worth ever be considered bad? Isn’t it wonderful that someone realizes his or her inherent worth? That they acknowledge their divine fabric,…
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