We are hungry people. Author Chris Tomlinson explores the contours of these hungers in a pithy, engaging 218-page read entitled Crave: Wanting So Much More of God (Harvest House). Each of the book’s 15 short chapters tackles a different desire within us ranging from comfort to purpose to significance. His confessional style gently coaxes readers’…

The pastor’s wife leads the worship ministry at their small congregation. Or…the pastor’s son-in-law becomes the youth minister. It’s only natural that family members serve together at a local congregation, isn’t it? Even some of Jesus’ first disciples were brothers, right? The ideal is that families share an active, engaged faith. Wouldn’t the logical conclusion…

Is the church:  (A) series of bunkers, sheds and silos storing already-harvested grain  or  (B) an organic, open network of interconnected relationships? Of course, we know the answer is supposed to be [B].  However, [A] has often defined our functional reality. Dwight Friesen has written a book designed to expand our imaginations about the kingdom-shaped…

I’ve been blogging for over four years now. In that time, I’ve had two addresses, four jobs and three cars. I’ve written two books, lost a parent, added a new grandson to the family tree, been to Israel twice, joined Curves twice (sigh), and have attended three different churches.  What hasn’t changed in my life?…

Another book review today!  I have to put my own bias out here: I am not a fan of “relationship” books. After working in a bookstore off and on for 4 years, I concluded that this was a one-note genre. All the books seemed to have the same basic advice and tone, no matter what…

This is what a first draft looks like.  After a forty year hiatus, I took up knitting recently. I have no lofty goals for this new hobby – no wooly cable-knit sweater-cap combos. I just want to create a few handmade scarves to give as gifts to family and friends. Think etsy with training wheels. …