Author: Jon Gauger

Do you snack between meals? Probably. Americans spend 135 billion annually on snacks—almost $500 per person. And get this—44% of us spend more on snack food than Netflix. Snacks account for more than a quarter of U.S. food and beverage spending. As a toddler, our daughter Lynnette was the poster child for snackers. It got to the point where my wife set out a Cheerios-inspired yellow bowl with snacks to tame Lynnette's appetite. She snacked her way through the day. And so do many of us. But are we that hungry for God's presence? How many of us PRAY our…

When it comes to antisemitism, the last 30 days have been ugly. Justin Kron of the Kesher Project put together the following assessment of the last 30 days: Kanye West—an artist with a following of nearly 30 million people, more than double the global Jewish population—released a song and music video titled “Heil Hitler.”  Mosab Abu Toha, who denied that hostages were abducted on October 7th, won a Pulitzer Prize. A student at Temple University recorded himself ordering bar service with a sign that reads "F*** the Jews," which went viral on social media. After being publicly chastised by Dave…

Do you like to fish? About 60 million Americans do—women and men. And we shell out a collective total of 115 billion dollars annually on fishing lures, fishing boats, and fishing trips. I've been on four unforgettable half-day fishing charters. But could I be frank with you? I know very little about fishing—almost nothing! However, I've observed that invariably, the captain knows the right place, the right time, the right bait, and the right technique! The captain scans for fish, baits the hooks, sets the downriggers—he does it all. With a typical half-day morning charter, you get up at 4:00…

What does heaven sound like? This week, I think I heard an excerpt. The Bible offers a surprising amount of detail about what heaven will look like: Streets of gold. Gates of pearl. Walls of precious stones. The River of Life. But what about the acoustic side of things—the sound? Revelation talks about saints singing Hallelujah. And Christians through the centuries have been convinced there'll be harp music. Revelation mentions seven trumpets played by seven angels, along with loud peals of thunder that help us imagine the voice of God. But last weekend, on a beach in Jacksonville, Florida, I…

The attacker stealthily inched his way forward. Finally, in range, he bashed Max on the back of the head—a blow sufficient to give him a concussion. When Max's friend Michael attempted to help him up, attackers broke Michael's wrist, requiring surgery. It all happened on November 6, 2024, on a public plaza at one of Chicago’s most respected campuses, DePaul University. Though police know there were two attackers, only one has been arrested, while the other is still at large. The attacker they did arrest wasn’t even a student. So, what was it that fueled this assault? What was there…

The dark side of repetition is numbness. When we hear things often enough, we cease to hear them. What should be foreground becomes background. Given time, even the profound becomes mundane. Perhaps that’s why I was taken aback by the simple declaration eight-year-old Ava wrote recently. Scrawled on a scrap of paper were these words: “I Love Jesus—and He Loves Me.” We pepper our prayers and praise music with the first half of Ava's message, "I love Jesus." But how often do we ponder—really contemplate—the second half of her message, "And He loves me.” I suspect that many of us…

Recently, I picked up a copy of The Hypochondriac’s Guide to Horrible Diseases You Probably Already Have. It is equal parts informative and hilarious. From the back cover: Do you suffer from insomnia? Not good…soon your whole body might attack your brain. Are you bothered by a persistent fever and swelling? Beware…maggots are likely crawling beneath your skin. Have you noticed skin tenderness and discoloration? Yikes…a small horn is probably going to sprout from your head.   Funny—for sure. But there’s nothing humorous about the sickness afflicting many Christ followers today. Let me explain. We've just experienced the Easter season….

How many times a day do you reach for your phone? Surveys suggest we grab our phones between 144 and 205 times every day. In one study, 57%—more than half of all Americans—admitted they were addicted to their phones. While 54% of smartphone users report feeling more informed, 54% also report a sense of eye strain from all that screen time. 50% concede that checking in with their phones makes them less productive. Another 43% admit their phones cause them to struggle to pay attention. 30% say their phone use leads to anxiety. And 21% report all that phone time…

Americans are starving—not so much for food, but for fame. Driven by fads and fueled by social media, we are desperately trying to “be somebody.” The Inaugural Success Index study found that 92% of respondents believed fame and fortune come closer to society's definition of success. In a Pew Research survey, analysts discovered that among 18–25-year-olds, even getting rich is less important than becoming famous. After surveying a group of 1,032 sixteen-year-olds, a team of UK researchers determined that more than half had no desire to go into professions that didn’t involve being a celebrity. But believers are different. Way…

There’s big. There’s huge. Then there’s ridiculously massive. I refer to the teddy bear Tim bought for his two girls, Ava and Emma. Once home, the bear was an immediate hit: a friend at play, a guest at dinner, and a comfort at bedtime. It was also too big for their home, and just couldn't stay. But how to break the news to the girls? Tim took a wise approach and assured the girls that the bear was simply relocating to his office. Better yet, they could stop by to visit whenever they wanted to. With a reluctance recalling the…