Have you ever sat in church listening to that traditional Opening Illustration and wondered how the pastor ever found a story to support an obscure theological point? I think there must be a website somewhere in which Shepherds of the Flock can enter “Sports metaphor that illustrates transubstantiation” and poof! Up come fifteen stories about […]
Given some of the vitriolic responses I’ve had to previous articles, you’d think my chief New Year’s Resolution for 2012 would be to write on less controversial topics. One reader responded to Holy Hypocrisy by essentially calling me a cynical and bitter parent-hater intent on demonizing missions and missionaries. I choked on my croissant and […]
Hi, friends. I’m taking a brief break from writing for the holidays, but will be back in January with a blog post I already know will be controversial. So I guess this is the respite before the backlash! As we mark this anniversary of Jesus’ birth, may we savor the moments with our loved ones […]
‘Tis the season to be jolly. No argument there. Except perhaps if you’re a bus driver in downtown Chicago, in which case ‘tis the season to be sarcastic, grumbly and all around snarky. ‘Tis also the season to send Christmas newsletters to the uninterested masses. Assuming you live dead-center in the shopping, partying and ugly-sweatering […]
Have you ever watched “What Not To Wear”? It’s a TLC show in which Stacey London and Clinton Kelly kidnap an unsuspecting fashion-criminal, show her secret footage of the outfits (loose term) she’s worn in the past couple of weeks, throw out every shred of her wardrobe, then give her $5,000 to spend on brand […]
Thirteen MKs representing 21 countries. A magical guesthouse. The astounding generosity of strangers who covered most of the costs. Three days to reconnect, share life experiences, and gather information that will become articles, videos and other MK resources. Such a forgotten people group with so much to vent and even more to contribute… They say […]
April, 13 2009. A stuffy old flea market in Müllheim, Germany. I’m wandering around with that mix of anticipation, whimsy and determination that tends to motivate people like me to darken the door of mouse-overrun dirty spaces. In America, we now call them “pickers.” In Germany, we call them Glastopfeingerichkenhemmers, or something just as long […]
I used to scrapbook. I’d cover the surface of my dining room table with all the accoutrements of a Memory Maker and go on a cutting-and-pasting binge. The first few hours were usually meticulous. The final few were to scrapbooking what Britney Spears is to acting…and singing…and clothing. By the end of three straight days […]
Wednesday, 12:30 pm. What the French would call a “long moment of solitude.” I stood at the front of a classroom at Moody Bible Institute and smiled at the sole occupant of its 50-some seats. “You know what this session is about, right?” I asked, convinced that his solitary presence was the result of some […]
We love a good morality tale, don’t we? The Boy Who Cried Wolf taught us not to lie. The Little Red Riding Hood taught us to go straight home. Well, here’s a morality tale ripped straight from Michele’s Epic Romantic Failures. The time: July, 1989. The place: Roche-les-blamont, a small village in eastern France. The […]