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    The Response to Suffering

    The Response to Suffering

    On Sunday, January 17, my father, a minister, shared the following statement with his congregation. It so resonated with me that I wanted to share it with you.
    “We have wept this week as we have watched the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti. Reporters have wept as they tried to tell the story. There is no answer to the question, “Why?” All of our answers end up sounding just crazy.

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    Noise Cancellation

    Noise Cancellation

    A few years ago I had to make several international trips to Thailand and Africa, so I invested in Bose QuietComfort Noise Canceling Headphones. I’ve got to say, I love them! They are comfortable and they sound great. But best of all, I can enjoy complete silence at 30,000 feet with 450 other people all around me.

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    Praying for Phil

    Praying for Phil

    On Sunday afternoon I dropped a friend off at the airport, Phil Baquie. I’ve made a lot of airport runs, but this one was different because Phil has been deployed to Afghanistan. Phil is an incredible friend, musician, songwriter, producer and now soldier. Phil is an Aussie and only became a US citizen a few weeks ago and is now going, as he says, “to give back to the country that has given me so much”.

    Will you commit to join me in praying for Phil, as well as all the other soldiers, over his deployment? If so, PLEASE ADD YOUR COMMENT BELOW as an encouragement to our friend.

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    More than Enough

    More than Enough

    When Wesley, was born Lorri and I were delighted. We had waiting and prayed for 7 years for this child. We had almost given up. When we found out we were pregnant with number two I got nervous. As foolish as it sounds, I loved my son so much I didn’t know if there would be enough love left for another child. I was afraid I would love one more than the other.

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    Without the Parades…

    Without the Parades…

    In just a few weeks Americans everywhere will celebrate a uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving. We will gather with family and friends, eat lots of turkey and pumpkin pie, watch parades, and exhibit a general spirit of thankfulness for all that we have. I would like to suggest that this year, we not wait until Nov. 26 to begin Thanksgiving. I propose that we make everyday Thanksgiving…but without the parades.

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    The Hole in Our Gospel, Part II

    The Hole in Our Gospel, Part II

    None of us approach the gospel in a vacuum. Good, bad or indifferent, our families, our churches, our economy, our politics, our cultures, our finances, even our versions of the Bible all color our understanding and grasp of the Christian faith. What I have most appreciated about The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns is that it has helped me to see past some of my own ignorance and biases to the hole in my own gospel.

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    The Hole in Our Gospel, Part I

    The Hole in Our Gospel, Part I

    I’m reading The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns. Stearns served as President of Parker Brothers Games, was CEO of Lenox and is currently the President of World Vision U.S. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this has not been a “comfortable” read. I have been spiritually, emotionally and financially challenged. The Hole in our Gospel is a wake up call for all Christians, especially those of us living in the U.S. It will force you to re-examine what you believe about who God is and how you express His faith to the “least of these”.

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    The Unique Intersection

    The Unique Intersection

    I’m struck by life—how precious it is, how rich and how fleeting. Today I have a friend fighting leukemia, a young Mom facing a heart transplant and a friend remembering the anniversary of his teenage son’s death. Each of these are sobering reminders that life is precious and far too often I take that life for granted.

    There are those who say that death is a natural part of life, but I disagree. Death is not natural, it is the result of the fall. Death is the enemy but death has been defeated.

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    Sacrificing our Children to God

    Sacrificing our Children to God

    Ten years ago now, I read what has become one of my favorite books, The Truth About God: The Ten Commandments in Christian Life by Stanley Hauerwas and William Willimon. In it, they tell the story of Millard Fuller who had spoken on the Duke campus where they taught. Mr. Fuller told how his family sold everything they had, left a successful law practice and moved to a poor neighborhood in Americus, Georgia to “wait for God to tell them what to do next”. What was next, turned out to be Habitat for Humanity.

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    His Hands

    His Hands

    On Sunday, April 22nd, 2000 we celebrated the baptism of our first child, Wesley Daniel Smith. It was an emotional time for us not only because Wesley was our first child but also because he was a gift from God. After the service we invited friends and family to celebrate with us. At that Sunday afternoon lunch, I shared these thoughts.

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