Author: Jon Gauger

They were on a mission: seize a large stash of weapons. On April 19, 1775, British soldiers marched inland toward Concord, Massachusetts, hungry to eliminate the colonists' firepower. But the secrecy of the British mission had been exposed by Paul Revere, who rode in advance to warn the colonists of the approaching British. The colonists' forces consisted of two groups. Militia men formed a part-time army and typically trained six days each year. By contrast, Minutemen trained twice weekly—on top of their regular jobs. All adult males were required to take militia training. But being a Minuteman was voluntary. They…

Sadie is seven and thinking about heaven. And to focus on heaven is to fuel your curiosity–regardless of age. Recently, Sadie peppered her mom with questions about the end times. Turns out Sadie wanted to know the exact date Jesus will return. When her mom confessed she did not know, Sadie was flummoxed. Her response: “Welp. I guess you aren’t as smart as you look. Grownups do NOT know it all!” Sadie is right, of course. Grownups do not know it all. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus said, "But about that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels…

I saw an advertisement at the airport that rattled me. The headline read, Save Them All. Immediately, I thought, what a great way to encourage believers to reach out to their unsaved friends. Instead, this slogan was for an organization trying to shut down puppy mills. Now, I'm all for treating animals humanely—that's decidedly biblical. But I found myself asking, why aren't we Christians at least as bold in rescuing souls as animal lovers are in rescuing dogs? If others can get worked up over puppies (I love them, too), shouldn't believers get much more excited about the eternal destinies…

At first glance, it cracked me up. Cruising the streets of Brookline, Massachusetts, we encountered a store named Restorers Without Borders. For a price, they take in furniture of all kinds and rebuild or refinish it. Cracked wood, missing table legs, scratched tabletops—they handle it all. And when they return that heirloom to you, it looks like new (or old, if you prefer). Not to be missed—their slogan. It's splashed on not one but two windows: "You'll adore what we restore." At first, I smiled. Then it struck me—isn’t that a perfect description of Jesus? The woman with the issue…

Adrenaline rushed. My heart rate surged. I'd been walking alone on a country road, enjoying the early morning. And then I wasn't alone. A dog resembling a Doberman Pinscher turned the corner and headed right for me. With a cornfield on one side and a yard on the other, there was no place to go—and no stick to grab for self-defense. I was entirely exposed. Seconds later, the dog's owner rounded that same corner. "Nick!" She called out to her dog. But Nick blew her off and kept coming. "Nick, get over here!" This time, he paused, looked back at…

At Junkanoo Beach in the Bahamas, the turquoise ocean hue is so intense, you swear it’s been Photoshopped, and so clear you can see down at least 30 feet. What fun to zip my iPhone into a waterproof pouch and slip beneath the waves to capture images of underwater life. After years of watching Discovery Channel shows, it was intoxicating to experience it personally. Needing to come up for air, I wondered about shooting some different camera angles. What if I put that iPhone on the sand and clicked the shutter just as the waves collided? I scrunched my body…

Are you bold when you pray? I'd not given the question much thought until recently. We were out at the camper—Saturday morning. It's breakfast time, which means six-year-old Ava is on one of my knees, and four-year-old Emma is on the other (our standard practice). I say a prayer of thanks for the meal that goes something like this: Dear Lord, Thank you for our food. You are so good to us. Thank you for letting us be together out here at the camper. It’s like a giant present. Before I can say Amen, Ava blurts out loudly, “And please…

Like many workplaces, Moody has a wellness program that encourages employees to pursue a healthier lifestyle. You watch educational videos, do fitness exercises, and take a healthy eating lifestyle class—that sort of thing. For every course you take, you get points. When you earn enough points, you earn the reward: $20/month off the cost of your insurance. But here’s the thing. This is really about repentance! They want me to repent from my five-layered Taco Bell burrito. They want me to turn away from lounging on the couch while binge-watching TV. They want me to repent from my daily can…

I saw a strange sight. While waiting for the train, a shabby-looking man fiddled with the parking meter behind me. His bunched-up pants were way too big for his skinny waist. I was confused by how his fingers mashed the parking meter panel with such intensity. As if he'd somehow been cheated out of change (or was hoping to find some?). Then I looked down and noticed the guy had no shoes—only filthy socks, well-worn. They had been white in another world, but long ago, they'd morphed into a muddy gray. As the train approached, I wondered what this guy…

Nassau, Bahamas—the fifth busiest cruise port in the world. At Port Nassau, they can dock six massive cruise ships simultaneously. And nearly 100 ships do so monthly, bringing some 20,000 cruise passengers who tour Nassau daily. My wife and I are just back from an anniversary trip to the Bahamas (no cruise—just a few days in the sun). There, we observed Port Nassau passengers immediately ushered to a pristinely manicured neighborhood. The "Straw Market" is a collection of upscale shops and eateries with more diamond stores than any street I've ever walked. And this is the only version of Nassau…