Intentional Earbuds–Links to Great Listens #1: The Bishop Who Refuses to Dumb Down the Faith

June 19, 2017

While intentionally seeking more pockets of silence in my days, I’m also grateful for the invention of earbuds.  They’re not not entirely a blessing, naturally.  Earbuds can further the ever-growing problem of isolation. They can override the “still, small voice” by drowning it in mindless noise. But selective listening, fully present to the voice that’s … More Intentional Earbuds–Links to Great Listens #1: The Bishop Who Refuses to Dumb Down the Faith

Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead: A Merciful Mind for Our Contentious Time

June 8, 2017

Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer-prizewinning Gilead is a book for our contentious time. I’d picked up a copy when it first became a best seller, but this year when I went through my shelves looking for books I’d bought but hadn’t yet read, its weathered green spine beckoned. When I broke the book open, Gilead began the … More Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead: A Merciful Mind for Our Contentious Time

Crow Call: Beautiful Children’s Book for Fathers and Daughters

June 2, 2017

“The details of this story are true,” Newberry-winning author Lois Lowry writes of her beautiful father-daughter story Crow Call.  “But parents and children groping toward understanding each other–that happens to everyone.  And so this story is not really just my story, but everyone’s.” It is indeed.  Lowry’s Crow Call is a masterful evocation of the … More Crow Call: Beautiful Children’s Book for Fathers and Daughters

Links to Explore the Soul-Washing Art of Marc Chagall

May 30, 2017

Art washes from the soul the dust of ordinary life.  –Picasso This simple sentence makes exploring the world of art and artists accessible, removing the fear that I’m not deep enough or educated enough to find enjoyment in its kaledescopic worlds.  Art washes the dust of ordinary life from the soul. One artist who does … More Links to Explore the Soul-Washing Art of Marc Chagall

The Case for Christ Film an Improvement over God’s Not Dead

May 20, 2017

Blatantly evangelistic movies aren’t really my cup of tea. As much as I appreciate the effort to share the good news at the movies, I find that films designed to argue viewers into belief come off as pushy and strident.  I’m on their side when it comes to loving Christ, but their style often falls … More The Case for Christ Film an Improvement over God’s Not Dead

Pollyanna vs. Curmudgeon: The Case for Realistic Optimism

May 11, 2017

I’ve neither read nor watched Pollyanna, but I know I’ve been insulted when someone applies the name to me. When you’ve just been equated with a syrupy fictional orphan, you’ve pretty much been put in your place. I’ll elaborate briefly. “Read THIS, Pollyanna” means “take a look at reality, Happy Pants.” “Back it down, Pollyanna” … More Pollyanna vs. Curmudgeon: The Case for Realistic Optimism