Monthly Archives: November 2012

In recent years standardized public school tests have been the subject of much debate.  The focus has been on disparities in the quality of school systems and the lack of opportunities some students have to prepare for tests due to … Continue reading →

When I counsel with people suffering through a difficult trial, I find their confusion over matters of faith often produces their greatest anxiety.  I know it sounds strange, but people can accept physical pain and personal loss as a part … Continue reading →

“Take a deep breath!” The stranger’s advice wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but it was what I needed.  My parents had given me permission to rent a rowboat on Glacier Lake at a lodge in Montana.  The surface … Continue reading →

It is difficult to define a faith out of control; one in which the certainties we once counted on are shaken to their core, and Satan uses our long unanswered questions as weapons against us.  At least we know we … Continue reading →

I have always been a lead breaker.  A lefty, my writing protocol is unorthodox, and I have a bad habit of holding writing utensils too tightly and pushing down hard.  Mechanical pencils are impossible and even ballpoint pens sometimes crack … Continue reading →

As the persecution escalates I question my strategy of allowing such things to exist within the context of faith.  It sounded so reasonable at the time.  It would have made no sense to allow the lesser things that troubled me … Continue reading →

This marks the beginning of the delusion.  Though we have grown confident in those things we understand about God, our doubts and fears rise with alarming aggression.  Worries spiral out of control and we foolishly believe packs of lies spewed out … Continue reading →

The devil’s workshop is draped with doubt and fear.  Through these he tortures our souls and slows our progress.  On a good day, we keep these twin terrors in check, but when life goes terribly wrong, they turn volatile. As … Continue reading →

Another way of expressing the “law of possibilities” is that true certainty assumes the element of surprise.  Since resurrection Sunday, followers of Jesus have been reminded they serve a God who moves in unexpected ways.  Today, we often speak of … Continue reading →

The delusional nature of trials might call the things we thought we understood into question.  This doesn’t mean these things are no longer true, or that our faith is fundamentally flawed.  Sometimes, however, we are tested in news ways, or … Continue reading →