We long for a quick exit from our “land between”, an instantaneous miracle that brings closure to our situation on a moment’s notice. With the psalmist David we cry out, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my […]
Whenever I was preparing my class for a field trip, I would emphatically draw their attention to the fact that complete strangers would be taking notice of their behavior and that the field trip was a magnificent opportunity to be witnesses of God’s love to others. I learned this lesson as a child, although I […]
Second Guessing God (Standard Publishing, 2006) Brian Jones begins his book with a foundational quote from Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936) in which the philosopher states that authentic belief in God consists of a passionate heart mixed with anguish, uncertainty, doubt, and despair. Without those elements, one simply believes in the idea of God. In […]
How did your downsizing happen? Did it hit like a bolt out of the blue or, in retrospect were the signs slowly but imperceptible building? Personally, although I was experiencing a growing uneasiness in my teaching ministry, I held on to the belief that if any teachers were let go, my seniority would save me. […]
The following hymn verses were written by Rev. Larry Hauser, who just retired as the pastor of Berea Lutheran Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Based on Matthew 14:22-33 (Jesus Walks on the Water) and sung to the tune O Waly, Waly, Rev. Hauser’s hymn addresses those emotions common to anyone in a period of transition, what […]
The Upside of Adversity (Regal Books, 2006) Os Hillman thought he had it all. Operating his own 10-employee advertising agency as a Christian witness, he became nearly financially independent by the age of 42. Os and his wife had just purchased a 13-acre estate and were drawing up plans for their dream home. Shortly after […]
Putting Your Past in Its Place (Harvest House Publishers, 2011) In Putting Your Past in Its Place, Dr. Stephen Viars draws on more than 20 years of ministry as a pastor and biblical counselor to address the role that the past plays in one’s present-day life and craft an appropriate response founded on God’s authoritative, […]
The Adversity Advantage (Simon & Schuster, 2010) This book is co-authored by Paul Stoltz, Ph.D and Erik Weihenmeyer. Dr. Stoltz has spent decades studying adversity and is the creator of the Adversity Quotient, a measure of one’s posture with respect to adversity. At the center of one’s AQ is the CORE (Control-Ownership-Reach-Endurance). Erik Weihenmeyer bacame totally […]
Jeff Manion begins and ends his wonderful book, The Land Between, with these words: “Welcome to the Land Between”. While the title specifically refers to the time the Children of Israel spent in the wilderness after leaving Egypt and before entering the Promised Land, it also generally refers to any transitional period in our own […]
The Blessing of Adversity ((Tyndale, 2011) Barry C. Black grew up in Baltimore’s inner city, the son of a self-sacrificing, prayer warrior mother and an alcoholic father. At the age of 8, his mother brought home a thick, old record album containing two sermons of Peter Marshall, chaplain of the U. S. Senate from 1947 […]
Jesus Calling (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2010) The 365 devotions in this book are the result of personal messages author Sarah Young received from God as she listened to God and meditated on Him while sitting quietly in His presence. In the Introduction, the author emphatically states that the “Bible is, of course, the only inerrant […]
The Land Between (Zondervan, 2010) Author Jeff Manion uses the Biblical account of the Children of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness as a metaphor for being in an undesired, transitional space. He explores ways in which the Israelites’ reactions provide examples on how we should respond (or in many cases, not respond) to our own […]