Greek philosophers championed the idea of “Nothing in excess.” The slogan was etched onto public buildings, referencing the “Golden Mean” or “Middle Way” made popular by Plato and his student Aristotle. To be a true virtue, Aristotle argued in his work on ethics, it must be held in balance between two extremes. As one example, [...]
A sojourn is a relatively short period of time when a person stays somewhere other than home. It’s a temporary stay or visit that’s usually associated with a specific purpose. During a sojourn, people are outside of their natural environment. They adjust to their new place of residence to some degree, but it never becomes [...]
In Hebrew, the word Eden means “delight.” When God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden, it contained everything he’d need to enjoy life—streams, vegetation, rich soil, sunlight, plenty of food, and living creatures of every kind. God even provided another human (Eve), who would partner with Adam in ruling the world under God’s direction. [...]
I’ve been troubled lately by some posts I’ve seen on social media. I know … this is nothing new. There’s always something we can find on those sites that we don’t like to see or read! But in this case, the entries that trouble me are posted by fellow Christians. We all see things from [...]
We’re not sure how Jesus was feeling when He said it. Was He sad? Frustrated? Stressed out? Or just lamenting? Whatever the case, it was a heads-up moment for His disciples—a foretaste of what lay ahead for them. In Luke 12:50 Jesus says, “I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under [...]
Most of us long to be significant … to contribute something that’ll make a positive difference in the world. I remember studying psychologist Abraham Maslow’s theory about human motivation when I was in college. His chart—called the hierarchy of needs—was a triangle. The large base was made up of basic physiological needs like breathing, food, [...]
A sense of justice that transcends culture and time is hardwired into all of us. We don’t like inequity. Our blood boils when we see one person oppressing another just because they’ve got more power or prestige. When Tony and I were raising our kids, our middle daughter was acutely tuned into justice—family style. Whenever [...]
David and his mighty men couldn’t seem to catch a break. After being ousted from the Philistine army because some of the commanders mistrusted them, they came to Ziklag to discover the Amalekites had burned the city and taken all their wives and children captive. David and his men were so distressed, they “wept aloud [...]
Vacation season has begun. Many will be heading out to various destinations—cell phones and sunscreen in hand—excited to see and experience new things. Some of us will travel great distances and enter a totally different culture for a few days or weeks; others will take their vacations closer to home. Whether we revisit familiar places [...]
Every story worth telling begins with an “inciting incident” … something that upsets the balance in a person’s life and drives them forward in an unpredictable and sometimes scary direction. As they react to the incident—trying to restore balance and regain control—their lives are forever altered. Their decisions and subsequent actions either help or hinder [...]
Adventuring with God 