Grace is a tricky thing. It’s something we all need but are loathe to accept. Although we perhaps aren’t as generous with it as we could be, we’d still much rather give it than receive it.  My son Ben is seven. He has been writing books, typing pages on the computer and printing them out, […]

After months of anticipation about our family’s first trip to Mexico and an escape from the Wisconsin winter, the weather report turned foreboding. All eight days were calling for rain. Kim and I were crushed. Our family had finally recovered from a three-week battle with the flu over the holidays, and we were looking forward […]

I’ve heard that God always answers prayers. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes, he says yes in ways that seem like a no. During a family vacation in the Pacific Northwest, one of the things I wanted to see was an orca. We heard stories of a mama and her baby being spotted in Puget […]

When we were children, creativity was a regular part of life, whether it led to building a fort out of blocks, fashioning a fantasy world with our imagination, or coloring made-up creatures with our crayons. We are all still creative. Sometimes we don’t think we are, and sometimes we don’t use our creativity as much […]

In her first two-plus years of life, my daughter Lucy has only been sick a few times. For that, Kim and I count our blessings, as there is nothing more miserable and sad and pathetic than a sick little kid. In those times when she is suffering, I’d happily take on her sickness and carry […]

I recently experienced one of my best days ever. I had a program in St. Cloud, Minnesota for an association of secretaries, and it couldn’t have gone better. They were a squirrelly group, and we had a blast. When I stopped at Applebee’s for dinner on the way home, I was still on a bit […]

When you were little, were you ever afraid of the dark? I sure was. From horns and hair to scabs and skeletons, thinking about what lurked among the shadows was an all-you-can-eat buffet for my imagination. In fact, I may not have made it through childhood without that humble but powerful life-saving device known as […]

Tonight Jason and I got a chance to watch ”The Exorcism of Emily Rose” with some friends. It’ll get your heart beating. It’s based off a true story and it is definitely one of those movies that will get you talking. If you’re looking to get into a deep conversation about good versus evil, demons, God, heaven, […]