Hugs
My wife, Nancy, is known for her hugs. We have people in our life who when I run into them while traveling will say to me, “I need a Nancy hug” or “I could use a Nancy hug right now.”
We Define Maturity
We would define a mature person as one who is able to function happily, usefully, and at her maximum capacity in a given situation. This definition needs correction at the place of “maximum capacity,” for it is possible to lay
A Gardener for Jesus
When I attended community college, I was the student worker for the life-science professor. Part of my responsibility was to oversee the greenhouse in preparation for our annual spring plant sale. The professor gave me his expectations of what I
Fear of Failure
Atychiphobia—”the fear of failure” is a real struggle for many people. In a time in history and a culture that seems less willing to allow people to fail, there is an expectation that everyone will say the right thing, do
Individualism Moving to Interdependence
Maturation from newborn to adult moves through several stages where an individual is learning new concepts and coming to a better understanding of their identity and place in this world. For the past several weeks, graduation festivities have been at
Joy of the Lord
“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart. Where?” This song brings back so many memories of camp, Vacation Bible School, and Sunday School. The excitement and volume with which we would sing these words proclaimed our
Mind Audit Transformation
A few years ago, I made the decision to monitor and journal the number of calories I was eating each day. It was an arduous task and was eye-opening as I was traveling and trying to find something to eat.
Potter and Clay
The first song I sang in front of the church was with my brother, Jeremy. The song, written by Joel Hemphill, will be forever ingrained in my mind and my heart. “He’s still working on me. To make me what
Praying for Mission Calling
“In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit