Welcome, Child
Mark Schloneger
When a baby is born to Muslim parents, everyone in the birth chamber is asked to be silent. The doctor, the nurses, the aids. Silence. Before any other words are said, the father will take the baby in his arms, and whisper in his right ear the Muslim call to prayer. This is so the […]
Embracing Hope
Mark Schloneger
Early in our marriage, before children, Sarah and I went to see Titanic, a movie that was breaking all kinds of box records and would go on to win all kinds of awards. And before I say more, let me just say this. Titanic was a fine movie. It was worth the price of admission. […]
#blessed
Joanne Gallardo
Blessed. Or bless-ed. We use this word a whole lot. We throw it around as easily and as quickly as we do “awesome” or “fantastic.” If you follow #blessed on Instagram, you’ll find 117 million posts! If you follow #blessed with the emoji of two hands giving a high five which 9 out of 10 […]
In Deep
Mark Schloneger
To all who are loved by God and called to be saints, there is grace and peace for you – in abundance — through our Lord Jesus Christ. Discombobulated. Befuddled. Flabbergasted. Flummoxed. If there are ever words that sound like their meaning, it’s those. And that’s kind of how I’ve been feeling lately, in dire […]
The Wall will Happen?
Mag Richer Smith
The WALL WILL happen. The Wall won’t happen.. And the debate about a Wall on the southern border of our nation keeps us stuck behind walls of hostility & resistance. We know we need appropriate boundaries to keep us safe and none of us wants to live in a house without walls, especially in the […]
Fully Committed God
Dan Schrock
I know a man who has had a hard life. He and his immediate family members have experienced bipolar disorder, two nasty divorces, long periods of being out of work, chronic physical illness, and a car accident that killed the driver. Because of these chronic conditions and misfortunes, this poor man’s life has often been […]
The Heart and Soul of God’s Reputation
Dan Schrock
While living in Miami in my early 20s, I was mentored by a man named Leroy, who cared very much about his reputation in the community. Leroy cared about his reputation because he was both a businessman and a pastor. Leroy believed his success as a businessman depended mostly on how other people evaluated his […]