Imagine being a little girl in in a Jewish family in the thick of World War Two. An impatient knock on the door refuses to go away. But you do. Because you know who it is. You’ve known they would eventually come. You whisper to your mother, “I’m going upstairs to hide.” Scampering up the steps, you clear the first floor just as a German officer rams his body into the foyer. You dive into the closet without a sound, buried in the perfect hiding place—the one you’d rehearsed. But is it truly perfect? As the soldiers’ boots pound up…
Lessons at the Jordan
It’s a scraggly line on the map in the back of your Bible. The Jordan river. About 150 miles in length, it trickles mostly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and eventually down to the Dead Sea. The Jordan River is where Jesus was baptized. So it’s understandable that many who travel to Israel today want to be baptized or re-baptized in the Jordan. When Diana and I serve tour groups, I often help with the baptismal service. Would you write me off as unspiritual or godless if I confessed to you that as meaningful as these…
Out in the Cold
It has been an exceptional year for mice. Out at the camper, we see them climbing outside here, there, and everywhere. Last week, I yanked off the lid to the plastic garbage can that serves as our wood kindling stockpile and noticed a brown and beady eyed little fellow glaring up at me. Nothing shy or flitty in his behavior. Fact is, he appeared angry that I’d blown his cover—literally. In smacking the side of the trash can and wiggling it back and forth, I’m sure I gave his tiny ticker the closest thing to a heart attack a rodent…
Remembering Mom
Mom is gone. She went home to be with Christ earlier this week. We’re glad for her relief. But losing her feels like the sticky side of a Band-Aid being torn off a deep gash on your arm. Or maybe your heart. Mom was the first to send a get-well card. The first to remember your birthday. The first to visit shut-ins. The first to send a thank you if you did the slightest favor. The first to send an email. The first to give you a call and ask how your “thing” went—whatever your thing was. Her life was…
What’s in Your Box?
When you’re at the same house or the same office for thirty years, you collect stuff. A lot of stuff. That’s my situation at Moody Radio where, after more than three decades in a building called Crowell Hall, I’m moving to our brand new Chapman Center, which houses Moody Radio and Moody Publishing. The new “Smart Studio” which will also double as my office is about a third smaller than my current space. So instead of two full-size bookcases, I’ll cram everything on to just one. The round table and two chairs I’ve known for three-plus decades have almost become…
What’s in your Box?
When you’re at the same house or the same office for thirty years, you collect stuff. A lot of stuff. Too much stuff. That’s my situation at Moody Radio where, after more than three decades in a building called Crowell Hall, I’m moving to our brand new Chapman Center, which houses Moody Radio and Moody Publishing. The new “Smart Studio” which will also double as my office is about a third smaller than my current space. So instead of two full-size bookcases, I’ll cram everything on to just one. The round table and two chairs I’ve…
Caleb’s Considerations
Found any spiritual messages in your food, lately? It will come as no surprise that the web is filled with them. There’s Jesus as supposedly seen in an orange, Jesus on a pie crust, Jesus on a piece of toast—even Jesus on a French fry. How many of the visuals are the product of skilled Photoshop-equipped imagination versus authentic edibles, I know not. But I do have a story that is verifiably true. Caleb is six and full of questions he asks with abandon. When it comes to family devotions, don’t think you’re going to simply read from a Bible…
Empty Pools
Somewhere after the 30th floor, our ears popped riding the elevator up to the observation deck of Chicago’s Hancock building. Traveling vertically at 20 miles an hour, the 1,030 foot trip took a mere 45 seconds. But if our ears popped a little, our eyes popped all the more once reaching the 94th floor. Peering out, it’s impossible not to take dozens and dozens of photos. To the east, Lake Michigan is equal parts turquoise and tranquility. To the north, a curving shoreline invites imagination and envy (who are these people who can afford to live on the…
Destinations–the Eternal Kind
It’s a busy day at O’hare. I’m headed for the glorious city of Cincinnati, tourist capital of the world. (Okay , not quite). Hey—it is what it is. One lady on my flight really is flying to a fabulous destination: the Bahamas. She started in Minnesota and flew to Chicago. From Chicago, she will fly to Cincinnati (my flight). Then it’s Cincinnati to Miami. From Miami she takes off and finally reaches the Bahamas. Hate to guess what her total travel time is! Out the window I spot the usual logos plastered on planes large and small. United, Delta, American,…
Stories on the Walls
Good thing you didn't drop by our house for a visit last month. Or the previous month. Or the month before that. The place has been a wreck—literally. We managed to drag out the installation of a new bathroom from March until mid-July. And rather than enjoy it, we immediately (as in the very same day the toilet and faucets were finally connected) emptied our master bedroom to begin a major overhaul there as well. The joints where the ceiling meets the walls were cracked. So we had to rip out most of the paper seams, replace them, and then…