Welcome back
Whenever I return home from a work or mission trip, my family makes little “Welcome Back” signs, which are hung on the gates, doors, walls, and pretty much all over the h... »
Chris Mizrany
Stopping the leaks
When South Africa experienced a severe water shortage several years ago, our regular wet season passed with hardly any rainfall. Coupled with an urban population increase... »
Get into the water
—A Lesson from Roses It all started when someone gave my wife a beautiful bouquet of white and pink roses. Somehow, they ended up on the kitchen counter while she looked... »
Controlling a raging fire
I’ve always had a busy mind and a quick mouth. When I was younger, I used it as a self-preservation mechanism to deflect attention from my own lacks or faults. I found my... »
A celebration of suffering
This time of year, we have a unique occasion—a celebration of suffering. It is both a solemn time and a joyous time, for we mark the terrible death and the glorious resur... »
Christmases past and present
Every year, Christmas comes too fast. That’s not to say I don’t look forward to it, as I surely do, along with all the little joys, decorations, and memories forged over... »
Exercising gratitude
“Enjoying exercise” has always seemed a contradiction in terms to me. Exercise is work, exhausting pushing-yourself-to-the-limit effort, and certainly not at the top of m... »
The headache that stopped my worrying
Not long ago, I had a large project to work on from home. It was my responsibility and there was an urgent deadline. Just a couple hours in, however, I began feeling a du... »
The vanished keys
One morning not long ago, it all went wrong. We had a full day scheduled from dawn to dusk. First on the list, help our neighbor put up a canopy. I was up early and alrea... »
The good shepherd
I’m privileged to lead a weekly Sunday School group of children between the ages of 9 and 13 in a low-income settlement just outside our city in Cape Town. Teaching them... »
Why we matter
When I see a sunrise, feel the sun on my face, revel in the ocean’s spray, or behold the splendor of nature’s vistas, I often think what a special place earth is. Recentl... »
The bathtub principle
It looks like the bathtub is finally getting fixed! So I thought when I arrived back at our mission center to find a man respraying the bathtub in our front bathroom. Our... »
Tetris blocks
Some people think that everyone has a place in life, and we all just need to find our place and “fill” it. Others believe that we are all free to make our own way, follow... »