Showing love to others is much harder than just saying “I love you.” Words are easy. Actions take effort and real love. Teaching “Show, Don’t Tell” Next month I am teaching a workshop at the Southwest Washington Writers Conference titled “Unlocking the Secret of ‘Show, Don’t Tell.'” If you’ve attended even one writers conference, you have likely heard that elusive phrase “Show, Don’t Tell.” It can be hard to decifer. Once you understand what it means, you must set about... Read more
God calls us to forgive because it’s good for us and good for the world. It is a fact of life that humans hurt one another on occasion. The injuries range from small annoyances—such as a rude reply to an email or a nasty comment on a political post online—to the truly egregious— such as a serious physical assault or embezzlement. When someone has hurt us, especially when the injury falls toward the more egregious end of the spectrum, we... Read more
The Four Seasons of the Calendar I’ve been thinking a lot about seasons lately and how God controls the seasons. The season of winter left months ago. Spring swung in on schedule, with rain drenching the ground and flowers blooming. God has set the four seasons in their places, marked upon the calendar as beginning in March, June, September, and December. Although they aren’t completely predictable in terms of the weather they usher in, each of these seasons can be... Read more
Jesus is the gate to salvation, to eternal life in the presence of God. There is no other way in. Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill... Read more
Jesus is the light of the world. He promised that anyone who follows Him will never walk in darkness. His light shines brightly. Hopelessness Makes Life Dark One awful symptom of depression is hopelessness. Without hope, life is dark. There seems no way out. Because of a lack of hope, some who have labored long in the grip of depression consider suicide as the only way out. The darkness obscures any way of escape. At least that is how it... Read more
Jesus is the bread of life. Bread symbolizes sustenance and life. Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes... Read more
I’ve been following Jesus for many years. Sometimes the road is smooth, well-lit by the light God provides. Other times the road is rocky, difficult, and dark. Always in the shadows looms the specter of depression. I haven’t dealt with major clinical depression since 1998, but there are still times when the melancholy is real. Following Jesus in Spite of Stigma Almost seven years ago, the organizers of a conference called Shattering Stigma with Stories: Mental Health and the Church... Read more
Where is Jesus when Christmas is in shambles? When your loved one is no longer with you; when you can’t afford gifts for your kids; when nothing seems to be going right? Where is Jesus when the joy of the holidays only reminds you of what you have lost? Where Is Jesus in Broken Nativities? My only son moved out of our house in December 2020. He was 25 so it was time, but I was still a little sad... Read more
Darkness often surrounds us, but Jesus lights the darkness. We live in a world where darkness seems to overcome light, evil tries to outsmart and outmaneuver good. But it is an illusion. Darkness will never win because Jesus is the Light of the world. Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which... Read more
Jesus holds you tight, even when you don’t have the strength or the faith to hold onto Him. Even when depression, substance abuse, and bad choices make it impossible to see Him in the darkness. Do you sometimes fear you have strayed too far and there is no way God will ever forgive you again? Don’t listen to that fear, my friend. If you have believed in Jesus, He will never let you go. Jesus said to His disciples: My... Read more
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