When I Am Weak
Several years ago I stumbled on a blog hosted by Michael Spencer (1956–2010), known online as the Internet Monk. He was a Southern Baptist minister, campus chaplain, teacher, and later a highly influential Christian blogger whose authenticity helped thousands of people struggling in their faith journey. In this powerful essay Michael invites us to consider a truth that is both humbling and deeply comforting: our weakness is not an obstacle to God's grace. Rather it is often the place where His grace is most visible. Rather than hiding our struggles or pretending we have it all together, Michael encouraged us to bring our whole selves to Christ, trusting that His strength is made perfect, not in our success, but in our need . . .
From the Lips of Children
On Palm Sunday, when Jesus arrived at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, He sent two disciples ahead to a village to borrow and bring to Him a donkey and her colt. This took place to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, “Say to Daughter Zion, see, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” The disciples did as Jesus instructed and when they returned he sat on the donkey and rode into the Holy City as a large crowd spread their cloaks and branches on the road while shouting “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” . . .
The Visited Planet
Today as we embark on a New Year, just a week after celebrating Christmas, I believe it’s beneficial to once again ponder the significance of the birth of Jesus over 2,000 years ago. Sadly the Christmas season has become so commercialized that it’s easy to be distracted and fail to be moved with awe and wonder at the birth we claim to celebrate. This was the certainly the case with Charlie Brown who, depressed by the commercialization of Christmas, cries out, “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” . . .
The Anchoviad
“What do we really know well about any creature, including most of all ourselves, and how is it that even though we know painfully little about anything, we often manage world-wrenching hubris about our wisdom?”, asks Brian Doyle in this short essay . . .
The Wonder of Children
In 2016 I put my nearly 5 year old granddaughter to bed and happened to record our conversation . . .