My childhood friend, Dave Raymond, died at 67, having spent his last decade struggling with a rare neurological disorder called Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), which gradually destroys a person’s ability to understand language. When Dave finally lost all ability to communicate either with spoken or written words, he became a prisoner in his own body.
Category Archives: Blog
Frederick Buechner Turns 95: Happy Birthday, Fred!
One of my favorite writers, Frederick Buechner, turned 95 on July 11. If you don’t know his writing, you’re missing one of the great Christian minds, hearts, and pens of our time.
Urgent Warning: Do Not Read Until You’re Ready!!!
Reading the Song of Songs lately, I began to ponder why, in this short book, one verse is repeated three times.
The Reckless Raging Fury of the Song of Songs
I once counseled a young man whose problem was that he felt distant from God. We talked about many things in his life, and one of those things was sex.
At Night My Heart Instructs Me: Reflections on Insomnia
To a friend who wrote to me asking for advice about insomnia, I sent the following reply:
Come to the Banquet! Eat the Bread of the Presence!
In the First Sanctuary, or Holy Place, of the Old Testament Temple there were three pieces of furniture: the Altar of Incense, the Menorah, and the Table of Showbread.
Betrayal: The Deepest Pain (Part Two)
My last post explored the subject of betrayal, and this time I offer some thoughts on how to deal with this greatest (I believe) of all pains.
Betrayal: The Deepest Pain (Part One)
Here in the middle of Lent, as we journey towards Good Friday, I present a two-part series on the subject of betrayal.
My Favorite Christmas Gift: The Power of Memory
On December 25, after watching that classic movie “A Christmas Story,” I sat with my family sharing stories about the best Christmas gifts we’d ever received.
No Ordinary People: The Bible’s Unknown Walk-Ons
Part of my quiet time every morning is given to reading a short section of some devotional book. Recently I’ve deeply enjoyed David McLaughlan’s No Ordinary People: The Unknown Men & Women of the Bible.