Life feeling a little scratchy and uncomfortable right now? You may be in an adjustment period. This summer we headed to New England to visit family. We had two stops on our itinerary, one in Gloucester, MA and one in Sanbornville, NH. Both places are like home and we look forward to visiting, but for our kids (and myself), we noticed an adjustment period at each place. Each new location meant new rhythms, new routines, new beds, new schedules, and even new sippy cups...heaven forbid. Our … [Read more...] about Adjustment Period
Archives for August 2013
Lord, Break Through
In the dark night, When my words fail me...When light seems lost...When answers escape...When the air goes out...When the silence rings...When bodies breakdown...When surprises startle...When endurance seems impossible... Lord, break through. … [Read more...] about Lord, Break Through
Of Squirrels and Bible Lessons
To prepare a good Bible lesson, you need some squirrel-like characteristics. Scamper. The initial phase of any lesson prep is surveying. This is an important part. The more you survey the less likely you are to wind up in some dead end. In English class, they sometimes call this phase of paper writing simply "finding a topic." To do this, you must survey lots of verses, materials and resources quickly. Look in commentaries. Make quick word studies with concordance software. Don't stay any one … [Read more...] about Of Squirrels and Bible Lessons
Interruptions
What do you consider an interruption? Your answer will reveal your values. If you gravitate towards tasks, then phone calls and unexpected visits can feel like interruptions. If you gravitate towards people, emails and tasks can feel like interruptions.We don't like interruptions. They seem like distractions from our mission. But interruptions serve an important role. Interruptions balance us. Interruptions snap the intellect out of his isolation. Interruptions ground the social … [Read more...] about Interruptions
When Oceans Rise
When I was in college, I helped lead a sailing trip into the Bahamas. I will never forget sailing away from land into the vast, unknown ocean in the middle of the night. It was exciting and yet extremely eerie. In particular, I remember watching the depth finder readings as we passed into deeper waters. The numbers slowly ticked deeper and deeper down until all at once they completely dropped off. I looked over at the captain. "Did the depth finder just break?" I asked. Nope. We had just … [Read more...] about When Oceans Rise
A Brief Theology of Fun
Fun. Nothing seems more antithetical to the Christian life than fun. Or at least that's the stereotype. Many bible verses come to mind... Solomon commends entering the house of sorrow over the house of mirth.Paul talks about his many travails.Jesus tells his disciples that following him means bearing a cross daily. Obviously, I have no interest in contradicting these people. We would do well to heed their words. Indeed, their words are truth. But where does that leave fun? Is … [Read more...] about A Brief Theology of Fun