BLOG––Encouraged by Faith

“What’s lost is nothing to what’s found, and all the death that ever was, would scarcely fill a cup.” –– Frederick Buechner “How long has it been since your son’s death?” I asked Jack Jacobs.  “One month and nineteen...

There’s this woman I know. For the purpose of this post, let’s call her Sally. Once a month, I’m forced to spend an hour with her as part of a volunteer commitment. Oh, my friends, these hours challenge me in ways I’m ashamed to admit. Sally is a thorn in my side...

A few weeks ago, in an attempt to do a bit of organizing, I grabbed my box of letters and notes that I've kept through the years and started sorting through them. I had letters from family and friends from as far back as high school. Simple notes that were dropped in the mail from a friend in...

 Our writers are taking a break and should return next Monday, March 12. Enjoy your mighty good day!  

Our culture has been changing fast for over a century so that living quiet, peaceful lives requires determination and discipline. How we respond to the news of the day makes all the difference. If peace and quiet are virtues we value, our response to the media must not be emotional...

Regardless of the Christian tradition from which you originate, we have all inherited a beautiful gift full of meaningful symbolism. Some Christians prefer to shy away from terms like sacraments, ordinances or even traditions and yet what we practice communally in the form of food and drink is...

When life is all a roaring wind and a blur of passing moments propelled by crisis or obligation, stop for a few moments to rest and think. When every activity of life is a race or a desperate contest of will, wait and see where you stand, whether you really need to move so fast or not. Devote...

What is the mightiest tool I possess? A keyboard? A recipe for spaghetti puttanesca? A seemingly pointless Master’s degree in Slavic studies? These meager resources seem insufficient to tackle the task at hand––namely, raising three boys from childhood to boyhood, and...

When I was in my early 20s, I almost moved to Florida. At the last minute, I changed my mind, repelled by an abundance of older residents whose lives did not show any evidence of transformation or improvement. Despite their maturity, so many seemed short on character and wisdom.  It was...

This has not been my most successful year. My family has experienced a great deal of stress, some preventable, some out of our hands. My prayer life has suffered. I can’t seem to push past shallow, two-minute pleas at my most distracted moments of the day. I am floundering in my...