Easter is not my favorite holiday. It makes me uncomfortable. There, I’ve said it. For those who know me and that I do love Jesus, that statement may come as a surprise. It’s not the sort of thing that someone with my background is supposed to say. But it’s the truth, though I’ve just recently […]
Devotional
Why Bother with a Baby?
It’s funny to watch how people act when there is a new baby around. Everything stops, and instantly people who were just moments ago interacting as mature adults are now leaning in, making ridiculous faces and silly noises that would never be emitted under other circumstances. It’s a sweet sight to behold. When a baby […]
A Prayer for Homeless Christians
There are many of us out there right now. No, I’m not talking about Christians who live on the streets- though I’m sure there are any number of them as well. I’m speaking of a different kind of homelessness – a kind of homelessness I find myself humbled by, never having expected that I could […]
Karate and the Kingdom Part Five: Take Your Stand
Sometimes, when I stand at the edge of the mat at karate and watch the higher ranks perform a kata, I can’t escape the humor in it all. Here we are, a bunch of people with bare feet, glaring down invisible bad guys as we kick and punch and make weird yells and whistling noises […]
Karate and the Kingdom Part Four: Badge of Honor
Thwack, thwack, thwack. Thwack, thwack, thwack. The dull sound of flesh hitting flesh as forearms collide in waltz time pulses through the karate dojo, accompanied by low conversation. Nearby I hear a faster tempo as two of the guys with muscular arms go at it twice as fast as everyone else. Next we go to […]
Karate and the Kingdom Part 3: Respect Authority
I stood at the edge of the mat at my first karate class, observing the flurry of action before me. There were about twelve people out on the mat, all performing the same movements of a kata (a choreographed series of blocks, strikes, and kicks), all at the same time, yet at different speeds and […]