“I’ve never seen hunger for the Word like this before,” I told Samuel, recalling our encounter with the warriors gathered under the thorny shade tree. Off the beaten path, off the grid, and quite off the map, this tribe were as eager and open as children to hear this “Good News,” and I believe that’s […]
faith
Faith Journey (East Africa pt. 5)
Imagine going off the edge of the map with no money, no extra clothes, and no plan except listening to and following Holy Spirit. Then imagine Him putting together the most amazing cultural experience of your life. That’s a faith journey. In Luke 9 and 10, we find Jesus sending out his disciples in a […]
The Wrestle and the Gaze (East Africa pt. 3)
Living overseas has a way of making you quit pretending… …and, honestly, I’ve been struggling with my faith for several years. What follows is like a journal entry about wrestling with my faith as well as the sweet way the Father is meeting me where I am. Over the past several years, living in Atlanta, […]
Wake Up Call (East Africa pt. 1)
I was awoken this morning by the howling of roosters all over town. Did I mention the walls have absolutely no sound proofing here? With four concrete walls and a concrete floor, no alarm clock is needed. Amidst the din of rooster calls, I faintly discerned a man’s voice over a loudspeaker in the distance. […]
How to Write Songs: Notes on Creativity from Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman
Here are some practical tips from Chris Tomlin and Matt Redman on songwriting: Write from your own need for God. Others engage your song if they are able to relate to it. Give yourself a deadline. You’re never really finished with a song, and it’ll remain in a nebulous state until forced out. Perfectionists will […]
Millennials (Pt. 3): Passion Tea and Passing Trains
This generation—we’re all on a train, really. The conductor on the intercom said the next stop is Destiny . . . but mile after aimless mile meander by the window, and the passing grass looks browner every minute. Well, while we’re both seated here, let’s talk. Okay, barista, I know working at Starbucks is not […]
4 Tips from Veteran Teachers on Finishing Well
The hallway was misty dark. A lone security light shone. I walked into the front office of my school to clock in. It was quiet, too quiet. It’s odd how empty a school can feel without the familiar, raucous noise of children. On this teacher workday, though, what needed cleaning more than the walls of my […]
Madman or American Hero? (part 1)
Sitting in Mrs. Tuggle’s 5th grade classroom as a 10 year-old, with U.S. maps and Gettysburg Address posters on the walls, I remember a few things. When I wasn’t presenting about the great locomotive chase of Kennesaw Mountain or staring blankly down my t-shirt in my desk, we learned about U.S. History since the Civil […]
What’s Your Life Shaped Like? Thoughts on the Universe, Part II
To introduce our unit on cells and mathematical powers of ten, I showed my class the 1977 video “Powers of Ten.” The film shows the relative sizes of objects ranging from galaxies to protons and electrons. It’s astounding—Charles and Ray Eames created such a good film that it’s still relevant almost forty years later. In […]
What’s your Life Shaped Like? Part I
1. 2. Which is your life shaped more like? Is it the Christmas ornament box, or the solar system planetarium? Choose wisely. Now it’s time for some thoughts on our universe. The two books theory says you can learn about God in two ways: (1) what he explicitly tells man; and (2) what He created. […]
Let’s Jump Right In – The Spiritual History of Atlanta, Part I
History of Atlanta: Moundbuilder Native Americans descended to the Creeks, who inhabited the area near present-day Atlanta. Their village was named Standing Peachtree and was, in the 1820s, the western edge of America’s frontier. They ceded the land to the heavy-handed American government and were largely eliminated from the area via the Trail of Tears. […]