This year has packed a punch more widespread and significant than any other in our lifetime. Every time I think I’ve seen the worst, a new devastating event is lurking around the corner. The global pandemic would have been enough to deliver a wallop on its own. As we layer on racial unrest, police brutality,…
The curved metal prongs dragged through the ground behind the tractor, slicing through the dirt and ripping up weeds that threatened to choke the life out of the plants. The task was threefold: kill the weeds, place good soil on top of the rows, and allow the air to penetrate the soil and promote good…
We struggled up the last hill, staggering under the weight of our packs. As we crested that hill, we saw it. Our goal. The point that we had been walking toward for the past week in the wilds of the Black Hills of South Dakota. What was this oasis we had longed for in the…
It drives me crazy when my kids aren’t thankful. It really bothers me when they’re already focused on what’s next instead of being thankful for the right now; when they don’t appreciate the belongings they have; when they’re “bored” an hour after a fun outing. I think it drives me crazy for two reasons. One,…
Have you ever sought the Lord with your whole heart only to hear the spiritual equivalent of crickets chirping? Who hasn’t? We know God often speaks in a still, small voice (1 Kings 11:19), but sometimes it seems he isn’t speaking at all, at least not in the ways we expect him to. That’s the…
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” (Phil. 2:3-4 NIV) “Can you help me buy some food?” The question from a stranger surprised me as I stood in the snack…