Forgiven Much
I just got a letter in the mail – a good letter. A great letter. Wow. About six months ago I ended my slow-pitch softball career (well, it’s still possible that I might un-retire like Brett Favre) by tearing my left plantar fascia. That’s the connective tissue that runs at the bottom of your foot …
Self Defense for the Soul
Last week I was having a few doubts about some decisions that I’d really been sure of before. But after taking some time for reflection, I recognized that several lies had infiltrated my thinking, tearing me down with subtle accusations. In fact, those decisions that I’d already made were from the Lord, and He confirmed …
Not my will
Why am I going back to Haiti again? A third time? Sometimes people assume that because of my heart for God or my heart for the lost, I’m just not like other people. After all, everyone knows that missionaries aren’t normal. We can’t relate to them because they’re just wired differently. Maybe so. Maybe not. …
Giving Well
I was asked to write a two-part article on “Choosing a Cause and Giving Well.” Here is part two of the article, which is also available as a pdf download. (Or jump to Part 1: Choosing a Cause.) You’ve chosen a cause you believe in – but are you really making a difference? There’s more …
Choosing a Cause
I was asked to write a two-part article on “Choosing a Cause and Giving Well.” Here is part one of the article, which is also available as a pdf download. Let’s be honest – hundreds of books have been written on stewardship and charitable giving. This brief article isn’t meant to compete with those books, …
Shell shock
As the church leadership team gathered for a meal, planning and prayer, someone asked about my recent return from Haiti. I’d been having a bit of trouble knowing how to answer some of the questions this past week. Joe turned to me and asked, “Do you have PTSD? I fought in Vietnam and I know …
Heartbreaking
It’s hard to express how grieved I am right now, upon returning from Haiti for the 2nd time this month. While we worked to bring focus to a desperate situation, we encountered spiritual oppression, arrogance, spiritual immaturity, narcissism, division and distrust. We had to pray constantly and be on guard against forces of confusion and …
In the streets of Port-au-Prince
The sun was still overhead, but the sensation of spiritual oppression was all around us. We walked from the presidential palace, whole floors collapsed, past the piles of rubble which had been the Haitian treasury building. A caravan of military vehicles made its way through the recently plowed streets. More than three weeks after the …
Defined by Faith
Learning to live headfirst is harder for some than others. I’d assess myself in the bottom 20th percentile of “naturally living headfirst.” I frequently remind myself, as greatly needed, that a thousand lies of the accuser come rushing at me every day. I purposefully read Scripture and recall it throughout the day, because (as my …
17 Minutes with Hugo
He was wearing a black shirt with a drawing of a cross. It said “Killed in the line of duty” and had a quote from Philippians. Hugo had been wandering the streets of Port-au-Prince, but when he saw us he motioned for us to come to him. My teammate Ted was taking video and stills …
