December 21, 1999, and I’m upstairs in my office working on a book about joy. Already it’s dark out and snow thick as a test pattern flows past the window.
Category Archives: Stories and Excerpts
The Great God Contest: A Christmas Parable
One day all the gods got together to see who could come up with the best plan to save the world.
The Good Samaritan: An Imagined Backstory
Every year at Passover the boy Jesus and His family made the trek to Jerusalem to observe the festival. The gospel of Luke records a famous account of one of these trips, when Jesus was twelve and held the elders in the Temple spellbound with His wisdom.
One of Us: A New Instant Classic!
David Gregory, who wrote the wonderful bestseller Dinner With a Perfect Stranger, has a brand new novel called One of Us. It’s the best book I’ve read in years.
Three Applicants: A Parable
Sick and tired of how my life was going, I decided to hire a new manager.
The Consolation of One Plump Red Strawberry
I have a big box of bookmarks from all over the world. I love to read, and as I begin a new book I enjoy selecting just the right bookmark—one with an appropriate color, design, and theme.
Spiritual Direction: The Ordinary Way
Here’s an excerpt from my new book Same Old, Same New: The Consolation of the Ordinary. It’s an imagined conversation between a spiritual director, Father Zachary, and his directee, Philip.
Embracing the Child, Part Seven: How to Handle Little Brats
On a visit to my aunt and uncle as a teenager, one day I was left to babysit my two young cousins.
Embracing the Child, Part Six: Acquiring a Child’s Heart
Currently I’m at work on a novel—a sci-fi/fantasy about angels and aliens—and while writing this essay I noticed that my story actually contains all the gateways to childhood that I’ve been describing.
Embracing the Child, Part Five: The Childhood of Faith
If childlikeness were a country, it would have many border crossings.