Flirting with failure
As the sun was setting, I walked briskly toward the bus station after a tiring day at work. I knew from experience that the city bus didn’t come by that often, and I didn... »
Personal Accounts
Give change a bear hug
A friend of mine told me this bit of friendly advice in an effort to encourage me to welcome some new changes in my life. My wife and I had been living in the Middle East... »
My life. My choices. My future
You’ve probably heard some of these familiar sayings: The world is your oyster. There are no limits. The word impossible is not in my vocabulary. Never give up. If you ca... »
Looking goofy
A good friend of mine decided to take up tennis. She bought all the gear, scheduled her first lesson, and headed off to the tennis courts. When she got there, though, she... »
A friendship encounter
My day invariably begins with taking my jet-black poodle for her morning walk, an activity which is high on her list of priorities. We have a regular route which takes us... »
Getting to know Jesus
I grew up in a Christian family, but when I was a teenager, feeling overwhelmed over the world’s problems caused me to start doubting my faith. When I was 18, though, my... »
A climb that healed
“If we can climb this mountain, there’s nothing we can’t overcome together!” I remember my dad struggling to smile and look hopeful as he pointed toward a rocky mountain... »
The seasons of life
Our theatre group regularly performs a dynamic skit based on a monologue from the Shakespeare play As You Like It, where he summarizes the seasons of our lives in seven s... »
Pursuit of passions
I love working out, and I also love food! Cooking a great meal makes me incredibly fulfilled and happy, and I’ve often read cookbooks like they were novels. So, knowing h... »
Prayer lunches
When I was in the second semester of my first year in college, some Christian classmates and I started to feel concerned that our faith was getting buried amidst our assi... »
God’s trading hours
If, like me, you’ve gotten to a store only to find that you’d misread their “open hours” sign and ended up staring morosely at locked doors, this is for you. I don’t ofte... »
A thrilling encounter
I still remember that day. It was the early 80s and I was a teenager sitting in the back seat of our car. Somebody at a stop light handed my parents some beautiful color... »
The goodbye song
Not long ago, I worked as a receptionist in a museum. Every day, about five minutes before closing time, the sound system would play a slow, romantic song over the museum... »