When I was in 2nd grade, Miss Nelson used to have us go around the classroom by rows, reading aloud. My desk was next to a row of bookshelves, and I would pull a way more interesting grown-up book from the shelves and hide it inside the classroom readers that featured the compelling stories of…

I happened to start my new job two days before a combo retreat and leadership training sesssion, which meant I got to attend the event. It was held here. I have driven by the place no less than 7.5 bazillion times (OK, that might be a bit of a stretch) and had no idea there…

http://www.theparablelife.com Spiffy!

When I hear people talking about the stories Jesus told, I listen. I’ve spent the last few years focused on them. Yes, I’ve studied them, read lots of commentaries and sermons, delighted in contemplating them and written 2 books about them…but the true joy for me is simply immersing myself in these stories. These stories…

Just when you think you can imagine how things are going to work in your life… …your child brings home a flea-bitten stray dog. …the doorbell rings at 2:30 a.m. …you discover a hidden stash in your son’s sock drawer …you open the envelope …you lose your balance …words jump off the page and upend…

I have a lot to learn about play. Again. When I was a kid, my mom used to tell me to go outside and play. Before I could come up with a reason why I couldn’t, she’d shove me out the door and lock it behind me. Literally. I was the kid who would have…