Being social
“Who are you here to see?” the petite dark-haired nurse asked as I sipped tea in the waiting area and scrawled in my journal. “My nephew,” I answered with a smile. “He’s... »
Personal Accounts
My princess
For my daughter Audrey’s first birthday, my wife and I planned to have a small celebration with a few friends and family members at home; instead we ended up with a cupca... »
Lovingkindness
When I first began reading the Bible, a word that captured my attention was “lovingkindness.” I felt very warm inside when I read passages like “I will betroth you to Me... »
36 seconds
My husband Daniel and I live with our four children on the 13th floor of an apartment building in Taichung City, Taiwan. Needless to say, the elevator is a part of our da... »
In sickness and in health
I recently watched the movie Love and Other Drugs, a romantic comedy based on Jamie Reidy’s memoir, Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. While I thought the fil... »
The renewal exam
A series of traumatic losses had left me angry at God. Alone, without any means of support, and with no hope in sight, I had tried to end my life. I regained consciousnes... »
Third time’s the charm
I’m on my third marriage—a fact that I don’t normally mention in the presence of newly married couples. I’m grateful for my first two marriages because they resulted in s... »
Happy new day!
In most countries the New Year is celebrated on the first day of January, but in Cambodia, my home for three years, we got to celebrate New Year three times every 365 day... »
The journal
When the thought first crossed my mind that I should make a New Year’s resolution to keep a daily journal, I immediately dismissed it. Too many past resolutions had falle... »
Hope eternal
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame... »
What's the point?
When I turned 60 last year, I did some soul searching. I clearly hadn’t achieved all I could or should have in my life so far. Was I therefore a failure? Give me a minute... »
Little green steps of progress
One day Joe broke his arm. They said it was par for the parkour he practiced. Joe was a traceur. He lived in a world that consisted of one giant obstacle course, climbing... »
Through the fog
Changes are awfully unsettling for me. I like my little nest, where everything is just so and nothing jostles me too much. I like routines and schedules, the comfort of k... »