If you’ve ever failed miserably, let others down and disappointed yourself beyond what you thought possible, here is some is good news. The Gospel accounts of events leading up to Jesus’ death on the cross and those surrounding His resurrection are full of lessons for us – if we will take the time to look,Continue reading “Blessed Brokenness & Resurrection Hope”
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Scars and Sufficient Grace
Hast thou no scar?No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.Hast thou no scar? Hast thou no wound?Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rentBy ravening beasts that compassed Me, IContinue reading “Scars and Sufficient Grace”
Unexpected Gifts
Here we are, well into 2023 already! Once again, it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog, and I really am going to post more Africa chronicles in the months to come… But for now, I just want to share a recent experience, along with some reflections, that I hope will be insightful andContinue reading “Unexpected Gifts”
Can I Eat the Meat?
Wrestling with questions of culture while trying to communicate the Gospel faithfully… another story from life in the village. Koyala, Sunday April 7, 2013 We had a somewhat lengthy discussion this morning about what to do with meat that’s been sacrificed to idols. It wasn’t simply an abstract discussion – the meat in question wasContinue reading “Can I Eat the Meat?”
When I thought about quitting…
Months ago I had planned to start sharing stories, experiences, and reflections on life and mission in a village in rural Mali – a random collection from a 7-year period – but I got sidetracked with present day life and responsibilities. So I’m making an attempt to actually start, and I’m going to try toContinue reading “When I thought about quitting…”
A Little Help, Please?
DIY – ‘Do It Yourself’ – has become a hallmark of American life and culture. It’s a phenomenon which I suppose has its roots in our history of rugged, independent pioneers who had to be self-reliant and figure things out. But I can’t help but believe that as those small, newly planted communities were formed,Continue reading “A Little Help, Please?”
Things I never saw myself doing…
I’ve heard lots of advice over the years about the importance of making a 5-year or even 10-year plan for one’s life: ask yourself where you want to be in 5 years, envision it, and let that vision guide your goal-setting and decisions. I think it’s a great thing, even though I’ve never actually doneContinue reading “Things I never saw myself doing…”
Hard Things
The past two months have been a difficult stretch. I was just feeling back to normal after my April chemo session, when I started to come down with a cold. It turned into a rotten thing that put me out of commission for a week, shut down our planned Easter celebration, and left me draggingContinue reading “Hard Things”
Dust and Glory
“For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fearContinue reading “Dust and Glory”
Ordinary Lives
The past two and a half years have been both rich in blessings and full of difficulty. The difficulty was not simply because I went through 4 months of chemotherapy for multiple myeloma (an ‘incurable’ blood cancer), then discovered I had a cancerous tumor in my colon that required surgery, and once I recovered fromContinue reading “Ordinary Lives”
Know This Love 