The Suburbs of HeavenWhy is it that we look back on old photographs of ordinary life-moments with such fondness? I’m not talking about pictures of the more extraordinary occasions we have experienced, like when our first child was born or when we visited London for the first time or when we made our…
Now that January is in our rear-view mirror, we are approaching the time of the year when our New Year’s resolutions come crashing down around us. In fact, according to Strava—a social networking app designed to help people track their exercise—that time has already come and gone. In a study…
Colossians 1:24 is one of the most challenging passages in the New Testament. For many years, I struggled to understand what the Apostle Paul meant when he said, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s…
Many years ago, as part of our church’s search to find a new assistant pastor, my wife and I took the leading candidate and his wife to dinner so that we could all get to know one another better. At some point during our conversation, we began discussing the hobbies…
I am convinced that all of us struggle with procrastination, at least to some degree. For many of us, it is a relatively minor problem. We put off doing certain things for a short time simply because we don’t like them, but we always get around to doing them eventually.…
Many years ago when I was in seminary, I had a visit from a friend who—as soon as I opened the door—could tell that I was stressed. The normal pressures of dealing with a full-time ministry job, a wife and two kids (at the time), a house that desperately needed…
