Category: Encouragement

Owning Up to Weariness

Years ago I was coming home from a meeting late one night. This particular meeting had not gone well. It had lasted too long. Some spoke to others in a manner that seemed curt, abrupt, and lacking in grace. I was tired–very tired. I left the parking lot of that church building and began the… Continue reading Owning Up to Weariness

If I Could Say What I’m Really Thinking

Yesterday, Anne Jackson’s new book, Permission to Speak Freely arrived in the mail. Last night, I read the entire book. No, I don’t normally read an entire book in one evening. However, this book was different. Perhaps it was her raw honesty that kept me engaged. Maybe, I was captivated because I felt as if… Continue reading If I Could Say What I’m Really Thinking

God’s Word for the Tender Places

It was raining hard that evening and I could barely see the middle line on the two- lane Tennessee highway. I was on my way to the hospital in Columbia, Tennessee. I had just received word that a 26 year old woman from our church was near death.   She was dying of cancer and our… Continue reading God’s Word for the Tender Places

The Silence that Kills

Silence is not always golden. Sometimes it is deadly. The following are some occasions when silence does its damage: You work for a small company. You have been a loyal, dependable employee for the last ten years. You have had a variety of jobs in this company. No matter what you have been asked to… Continue reading The Silence that Kills

Beauty in a Housing Project

(The following post was written by my younger daughter, Jamie, who is a social worker. She recently witnessed a beautiful marriage–in a setting you might not expect.) My job as a home-based social worker allows me the opportunity to see very unusual or difficult situations on a daily basis. Once, for example, I walked into… Continue reading Beauty in a Housing Project

In the Presence of Good — Nicholas Winton (Part 2)

There is something about Nicholas Winton that I really admire. (If you haven’t read part one, you might want to do so before reading on.) Nicholas Winton was a 29-year-old clerk who worked for the London Stock Exchange. In 1938, after visiting Czechoslovakia, Winton had a deep concern for the welfare of children who were… Continue reading In the Presence of Good — Nicholas Winton (Part 2)

In the Presence of Good — Nicholas Winton (Part 1)

What kind of investment do you need to make today? Young Nicholas Winton was an ordinary 29-year-old man who was a clerk at the London Stock Exchange. His world was investments. However, he would soon make an investment of his own that would change many, many lives. The year was 1938. He had been invited… Continue reading In the Presence of Good — Nicholas Winton (Part 1)