The Match of Hope

February 25, 2022

September 16th, 2021… Mary and I bought tickets to explore the famous Quincy Mine in Hancock, Michigan. A living textbook. A journey into the history of Mary’s family. Copper mining. Our tour included a hike into the depths of a restored mine shaft, and at the culmination of this hike our guide instructed us to […]

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Baptized with Words

February 18, 2022

As the light dimmed over a day in late January in downtown Kansas City, I held my cellphone tightly to my ear. It was 2002, and I don’t remember precisely what kind of phone I was using, but I know that it afforded me the opportunity to hear the voice of my father for the […]

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Boxes

February 11, 2022

 Yes, corrugated cardboard is a part of nearly all of our lives these days, in large proportion. Online shopping and home delivery have required more boxes than ever before. All shapes and sizes. All designed to contain and protect the contents. Boxes… Perhaps the rush toward home delivery and shipping containers has leaked into our […]

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Silas, Unhindered

February 4, 2022

Jake Bland is a trusted friend, and my successor at Youth For Christ USA. He’s a man who not only champions our mission, but stewards the vital role that he plays, along with his wife Ali, for the care of their young family. Enter Silas… Jake and Ali’s six-year-old son. Their oldest. In so many […]

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In the valley; especially in the valley

January 28, 2022

Almost ten years ago I wrote this Fragment. It’s about my friend and brother… Don Talley.  Don is once again in a fight.  This time with Covid.  And while Don’s physical body is more vulnerable than most, the inventory of his soul is empowered with grit and confidence.  Consider this an invitation to thank God […]

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The Shredder and C. T. Studd

January 21, 2022

Sitting on the top shelf of a storage area in our basement was a banker’s box. The box has been the final resting place for financial information for Mary and me. Everything from mortgage papers to tax returns. On nearly every visit into this area I catch a glimpse of this box. Over time, the […]

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7 to 1

January 14, 2022

It was 1896 when the Supreme Court of the United States convened for what would become a landmark case. Seven justices were opposed by one dissenting voice. That voice belonged to John Marshall Harlan, a Kentucky lawyer who was appointed to the highest court in the land by President Rutherford B. Hayes. The case in […]

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Magnificat – (Latin: “My soul magnifies the Lord”)

January 7, 2022

“And Mary said…” Mary. The mother of Jesus. Poet. Songwriter. Praise leader. Mary.             “My soul magnifies the Lord,                         and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,             for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.                         For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;             for he […]

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A Christmas Lesson from a Copper Mine

December 17, 2021

What follows is an extended Christmas Friday Fragment. It’s about twice the normal length… but I couldn’t do the story justice without the extra details. I trust that it prompts you to adoration of a God who “con-descended” into the darkness for us. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome […]

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A Call to Central Casting

December 10, 2021

It’s become a tradition. Grandkids. Christmas Eve. Full stomachs. And a creative adaptation of the Christmas story. All written, directed, and acted by our tribe of young people that we call our Grands. Three years ago, with the quality and humor and content of the program consistently improving, a new actor burst on the scene. […]

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