Van Neste

When our children were young, it was fairly common for the youngest child to delight in saying the blessing before meals. 

When our youngest, Timothy, was 4 years old he often eagerly asked to say the blessing. His prayers developed, of course, moving first from unintelligible to intelligible and then adding and substituting topics. At one point a new item began appearing in his prayers. He began, in his list of things for which he gave thanks, saying, “Thank you for tomorrow.”

This was striking to me the first time I heard it and I am still not sure what exactly he meant by it. Most likely he melded in a humorous way some different things he had heard us pray. But I did not correct him. It is good theology whether he realized it or not. [Read more…]

Dooley

Returning to school each fall always evokes a bit of murmuring from my children. Sleeping in, trips to the beach, and free time with friends is admittedly more fun than studying algebra and writing book reports. I get it. 

What most children and teenagers do not realize, however, is that the revolving semesters of these years represent a season of life that not only passes far too quickly, but also allows a freedom and playfulness that life’s latter stages do not afford.

Youth offers numerous opportunities. Scripture’s wisest man, King Solomon, explained, “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood. And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes (Ecclesiastes 11:9a).” His point is that not that we are free to do anything, but that everything changes as we age. [Read more…]

Hardwick

I don’t know about you, but every time I open a social media app, scan news headlines, or watch a news channel, I feel an ache in my heart, a pit in my stomach and a burden in my soul.

Bad news. Tragic events. Vitriolic debate. Threats and predictions of more to come. And it seemingly never ends. Recently, as I scanned a newspaper and felt all these emotions, I had a thought — “I wonder if this is a little bit what Nehemiah felt when he got that bad report about the status of Jerusalem?”

You know Nehemiah’s story. While serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, he was worried about Jerusalem. He received a terrible report from his brother. The people are downcast, the city is in shambles, and the walls and gates are on fire. The place and people meant to be a beacon for the glory of God were far from it. [Read more…]