The hiding place
When I was born, only a few years after WW2, Holland was still getting back on its feet, and the aftermath of the war and occupation was still visible. I grew up hearing... »
Personal Accounts
From mundane to marvelous
One of my favorite novels is C. S. Lewis’s The Horse and His Boy, one of the seven books in The Chronicles of Narnia series. The heroine, Aravis, is a princess trying to... »
What God does for me
When I came in for my nursing shift in the department for Alzheimer’s sufferers, one patient was very agitated and wouldn’t sit still. I could have given her some medicat... »
Creation and soul healing
Living in a big city can take its toll on our spirits, minds, and bodies. The crowded conditions, the selfishness, the barrage of media, the stress of normal life, relati... »
Walking with God
In the very first chapters of Genesis, we read of an enigmatic character, Enoch. Though we know little about him now, it seems that Enoch was well-known in Jesus’ time, a... »
Getting an early start
I recently took my teenage son to an ecotourism project in the big Complexo do Alemão group of favelas [slums] in northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are cable gondola... »
Hymn in the gym
This morning I dragged myself out of bed. The sun isn’t even fully up, so why should I be? As I mulled over that pithy logic, I dressed, grabbed my bag, and trudged out t... »
The common denominator
I wish you could meet three people who each made a big impression on me this past year. The first was a waiter’s assistant who cleared my table from his wheelchair with s... »
A joyful work environment
On a recent day off, I spent the better part of the day at the zoo. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone to a zoo. Animals are fascinating and a lot of fun to observe, a... »