Here’s a different kind of Christmas song on which to meditate this Advent… Revelation 15 captures the worship of those who have endured  through the torment unleashed on believers by the Christ-loathing beast. This beast, demanding unquestioning fealty, adoration and obedience from his followers, tried wringing worship from the Christ-ones. As God’s final judgment is about to be poured out on the beast and his toxic followers, a song rises from the overcomers. Their song rises to their Deliverer as... Read more

Shortly after I began homeschooling in 1992, I responded to a “help wanted” note I found at an  online homeschool message board I frequented. The editor of this magazine was looking for curriculum reviewers. I tossed my hat in the ring, and ended up reviewing language arts and social studies curriculum for the magazine for most of the years I homeschooled my kids.  It was so much fun to get a box full of educational surprises. I guinea-pigged some of the... Read more

Some cliches live on in our language long after their original context has faded. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” is one of those cliches. Though no one I know has brought their market wagon into the wheelwright’s barn to get some grease applied to a wheel’s grinding squeal, the truism embedded in the original observation-turned-cliche persists: vocal complainers attract action.   Oh, do they ever.  I’ve relied on the squeaky wheel strategy when dealing with consumer issues. Michelle vs. Goliath... Read more

This is a blurry image, taken with my cell phone, of the organizational tool I use to order my work at the school. It’s a crumpled December calendar. The little picture doesn’t clearly show the scribbed notes, arrows, crayoned boxes, lists in the margins, or the extra thoughts on the post-it note, attached at the bottom right.  This is my parable life today. Read more

When I was a little kid, I attended a couple of years of “Sunday School” at the temple to which my parents belonged. They couldn’t afford the whole Hebrew school business, which would have put me on the fast track to a Bat Mitzvah at age 13. The temple offered religious education on Sunday mornings for the kids who weren’t going to be Bar or Bat Mitzvah-ed. I’m not sure how much religious education went on in class, but I... Read more

Cindy (not her real name) had stopped attending Young Life meetings, and was partying pretty hard again. She acknowledged as much when I asked her what was going on. Cindy had made a profession of faith in Christ, and tried the Christian life for a few months. Then she walked away. “It’s not for me,” she said, owning her choice but avoiding eye contact with me after that. We hung around occasionally after that, but she drifted away. I chalked... Read more

I’m 49 years old, far too old for Dodgeball. Right? Today I was sitting in a meeting at work, and some of the other staffers were discussing some end-of-semester student activities. One of these events was a Dodgeball tournament with the proceeds going to a ministry in Africa. The person making the announcement said, “I’d like to see Student Affairs staffers put together a team and participate.” Then he looked around the room to see who might want to join... Read more

A little light hit a dark corner in my soul this morning. Maybe these words will do the same for you today. Listen: Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.” “Where do you want us to prepare for it?” they asked.He replied, “As you enter the city, a man carrying a jar of water will... Read more

If you and I have ever talked about books, you know I have always proudly proclaimed that I’m not much of a fiction person. Oh, I appreciate the classics, and have written a number of works myself fiction over the years (kids’ stories, plays and skits), but I’ve not been grabbed by much contemporary fiction of either the CBA or ABA variety. Every once in a while, a brilliant book cuts through the chatter and silliness and reminds me that... Read more

In the wake of Tuesday’s election, I have read and listened to plenty of response from Christians across the spectrum. And one of the things I’m hearing again and again, usually from people disappointed (or much, much worse) about the results is the phrase “God is sovereign”. This phrase is usually a part of some self-comforting speech that goes something like this: “Even though we’re not at all happy with the way things went on Tuesday, and this country is... Read more