Avoiding Avoidance
Deathbed advice offers impact which no other advice provides. My father died of cancer sixteen years ago. A few weeks before his death, knowing he …
Beliefs of the heart
Pursuing an Inner Life
The two pictures below show Mt. St. Helens. One was taken on May 17, 1980, and the other was taken several days later. Beneath the calm exterior of a …
Our need for Significance
Many Christians substitute an abstract doctrine for belief. It’s like we’ve read the menu and missed the meal. All the while, beliefs of the heart can …
Reflections on Beliefs
A few years ago, a client of mine visited us for a series of meetings. He asked for a restaurant recommendation, and I suggested The Gandy Dancer, my …
Confessions of a Legalist
When I was in the business world, I used to meet with various executives to provide them with projects updates. During one trip I met with a CFO one …
The Unimaginable Hope of the Tests of God
When we think about the tests of God, most of us shudder. Yet I believe that they can be a key to Hope and Joy. Let me explain. I began flying lessons …
Hearing God and Controlling the Conversation
In 1989 the company I worked for was dying; it was losing money like the prodigal son, it had a two-year sales drought, and our owner—though …
The Power of Remember
After the evil Witch is killed, in C. S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair, Pulddleglum catches one Earthman who explains what is happening with the rest of …
The Power of Hope
Imagine two men who are given year long jobs in a sweat shop. Each man works the night shift in a hot and humid factory. Their bosses are overbearing …
Hearing God and Making Decisions
I know a man—let’s call him John—who is desperately seeking God for direction. John is about 55 years old. He manages a division that until a few …
Dealing with Anxiety
Recently, a group of friends and I were faced with a decision that would significantly affect each of us. I met with two of my friends to discuss the …
Risk 3: Where do we rest our hearts?
My son David recently married “the girl next door” (almost literally), and the reception was at our house. The day before the wedding, my sons and I …