“I think you need to do an experiment.”  The suggestion came from my wife, and I could tell by her tone that I should pay attention. She continued, “I think you should try to stop complaining completely for three days.” I took a deep breath—this wasn’t something I wanted to hear. It meant I had developed a bad habit. I had become a complainer. At first, I wanted to defend myself. I wanted to tell her all the reasons why my complaints were... Read more

Have you ever fallen in love with a product? Has there ever been an object or item that you found to be so perfectly designed or wonderfully versatile that you found joy just using it? Many times, friends have invited me over just to show off their new grill or let me try their latest gadget. I’ve been guilty of this too. I recently received a cast-iron skillet as a gift from a friend, and I found it worked so nicely... Read more

My sons and I recently went to a local restaurant to celebrate international Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (a holiday I simply cannot endorse enough). While we were waiting for our food, my eldest boy found a stack of questions on the table. The questions were designed to help stimulate conversation while patrons waited for their food. The first one he asked was “would you rather have more time or more money?” Looking at my boys in that moment, it was easy to... Read more

I recently came across a magazine called Success. It showed the head of a man with a huge smile and next to him a coverline read “Make More Money in 2020.” The image really struck me. In one line it communicated what success looks like for many people in our world. Success is shorthand for wealth. The more stuff you have, the more successful you are perceived to be.   I wondered what a magazine called Success would feature if Jesus were the editor. This magazine, I imagined,... Read more

I have a friend whose love language is tidying up. No matter where we are, he’s always on the lookout for little things he can set to rights. If there is a scrap of paper left on the ground, he’ll make sure to grab it and throw it out, and he never leaves a dish for someone else to clean. Whenever he leaves a room, it’s better than when he entered it. He is a reliable, helpful, and observant man.   I... Read more

I love the book Alice in Wonderland and find myself returning to this classic again and again. One of the things I most enjoy about this book is the absurdity, as it helps me to see how my own life can sometimes be absurd. One of my favorite exchanges in the book is between Alice and the Cheshire Cat:  Cat: Where are you going?  Alice: Which way should I go?  Cat: That depends on where you are going.  Alice: I don’t know.  Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which... Read more

Lent is about creating space for God in our lives.  One way in which people intentionally invite God into their lives through the Lenten Season is through the practice of generosity. For centuries, Lent has been an opportunity for followers of Christ to take stock of the gifts in their lives, look at their budgets, and ask God to help them to express their faith by sharing with others. Giving is an important expression of Christian values.   Jesus himself talked about money more... Read more

In my house we’ve recently started a new practice with the whole family. Each month we all share one way in which we are learning to pray. For years I’ve struggled to find ways that everyone in the family could share in one another’s prayer life. We often pray together as a family, but I wanted to invite my kids to take a personal step in prayer and to model for them what a personal prayer life looks like. My 6-year-old is... Read more

Perhaps the most well–known discipline of Lent is the practice of fasting. During Lent, people often choose to take a break from something. Over the years I’ve practiced fasting at different levels. Sometimes were rather extreme (e.g. only eating bread), while others were a little bit easier (e.g. cutting out sweets). In my own life, I have found that when I fast it offers daily opportunities to reflect and remind myself to turn my attention back to God. Each time I say “no”... Read more

Throughout much of Christian history, followers of Christ have used the 40 days leading to Easter as a special period of spiritual preparation and renewal. This period is often referred to as Lent.   Lent is designed to foster lives that turn toward God. This turning toward God is sometimes called “repentance”, and it is the central movement of Lent. It helps us to remember that the story God is telling is much bigger than the story we tell about ourselves. Lent is... Read more