Author: Jon Gauger

A sliver of trees. Barely enough to be called a forest preserve. But big enough that it stands out from the cement and asphalt landscape you see peering out the windows of your train chugging toward Chicago. Because God has wired me to worship Him through His creation, I raise a hand and praise Him silently for the trees every time we roll by the splendor of this green scene. God must like it because He seems to jog my attention whenever I'm on the train and about to miss His handiwork. On a recent ride, I gazed into that…

I do not know whether this is a great or grim day for you. Either way, I invite you to ponder with me three things for which every believer can be thankful: #1 You have breath to praise. Not to be a downer, but the day is coming when you and I won't be able to praise because we will have taken our last breath. Psalm 115:17,18 soberly reminds us, "The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. But as for us, we will bless the LORD from this time and forever. Praise…

Be careful how you conduct yourself. Others are watching. As a seventeen-year-old kid, I had never lived away from home. But there I was, nervously pacing back and forth in the freshman registration line at Moody Bible Institute. Finances for that fall semester in order (thanks, Dad and Mom), I loaded my few belongings into the Culbertson Hall elevator and punched the tenth-floor button. That’s when I met my roommate, Dave. In some ways, we were total opposites. He was a car junkie—but I didn’t even own a junker. He loved auto racing while I played the French Horn. He…

Exactly 80 years ago, the newly constructed USS Orleck first splashed into the water. Too late to see action in World War II, the 390-foot-long destroyer played critical roles in the conflicts that followed. In the Korean War, the Orleck made history by engaging a North Korean train laden with supplies intended to destroy our soldiers. Under total silence at night and without lights, the Orleck stealthily crept within firing range. Cloaked in darkness, the unsuspecting train chugged down the track only to be decimated by the U.S.S. Orleck's guns—earning the vessel a charter membership in the "Royal Order of…

The wheels in her mind were whirling so intently you could almost hear the clicking of the gears. Emma's eyes fixated on a panel of faces at our local Wal-Mart. “Who are these people?” the five-year-old questioned, jabbing a finger at the wall. My wife, Diana, explained that these were children who were missing from home. "But why?" came the inevitable follow-up. "Why aren't they at home? What happened?" As we nudged our cart past the wall, Diana did her best to clarify the situation. "Some of these children ran away, but many of them were taken by someone else."…

Even if you love winter, it comes at a high price. Living in one of the cold states, you see the color palette narrow dramatically to a few shades of tan or brown and not much else. Now, I can live without the bombastic reds, yellows, and pinks that come with spring and summer. But the near-total disappearance of green is a loss I do not take lightly. So, imagine my delight when a recent morning walk on a favorite trail revealed an unexpected tuft of green. Green, in the middle of winter! Did you know that the human eye…

I despise parking meters. It’s bad enough that you must sometimes “fight” to find a parking spot. But to then be forced to pay for it? That's like chewing chalk. Not only do you have to pay to park at the train station in our town, but the meters are also often broken! A trio of them stand in tight formation, metallic sentries outside the station’s doors. Yet if soldiers, they are a wounded platoon. One often struggles to take dollar bills. Another’s credit card reader is usually inoperative. And typically, at least one of them will not take quarters….

At our house, we call it “getting beautiful.” It's the process of standing in front of the bathroom mirror, trying to make ourselves look presentable. Ava and Emma (ages eight and five) have grown to love this time because Diana curls their hair and adorns their cherubic faces with a bit of blush or eye makeup. They like it so much that if my wife is running late (and they don't want to wait around), before running off to play, the girls will plead with Diana, “Don’t get beautiful without us!” We all want to be lovely. But the ugly…

Lying on a metal table while being slid into a claustrophobia-inducing tube is nobody’s idea of a fun time. But that’s where my wife, Diana, found herself recently. As she tried not to think about how uncomfortable that cylindrical scanner made her feel, Diana noticed the MRI machine seemed to be tapping out a (loud!) rhythm pattern in 4/4. So, she decided to sing herself hymns and praise songs—to the rhythm of the machine. She recounts how that choice greatly impacted her ability to overcome the discomfort. Difficult tests are nothing new. But Diana's strategy of praising in the middle of…

There’s something sick about a society that demands we prove our loyalty to some— by hating others. But in today's America, we seem to have lost our capacity to disagree without being ugly. Worse, we’re proud of it. If you want to be "in" with Crowd A, you can't just prefer A or disagree with Crowd B; you must positively despise the other guys. And prove it with your poison-loaded posts! This, in an age of “inclusiveness” and “tolerance.” Beyond hubris, this is hogwash—not to mention harmful. Though I'm no fan of rap music and don't endorse Snoop Dogg as…