On a warm, tranquil evening last summer, a friend taught me to fish. He provided the equipment and instructed me on fish behavior and bait. He emphasized the need for patience...

The trees on the riverbank across from my house are not particularly beautiful, but they are sturdy and productive. A wide variety of birds find refuge in their branches. People walking...

When I was a teenager, my brother and my father died within a few weeks of each other. Though the sun shone brightly that summer, my soul felt dark. Within 29...

A new year makes me acutely conscious of the passage of time: how we allow calendars and clocks to dominate us, how there is never enough time for what we need...

One of my favorite television shows from the 1970s 
always opened with the two main characters sitting at a piano singing “Those Were the Days.” As I think about this song,...

The family table was set, and we were all excited about beginning the meal. Instead of blessing the food with our usual prayer, we decided to share something for which we...

I have lived in many different places since my parents, brothers, and I left Latvia to escape communism. On our journey to freedom, we lived a short time in Poland and...

Early civilizations developed methods to transform reeds into paper, papyrus, and also to weave them into baskets, mats, and rope. Reeds were functional and beautiful. In contrast, a bruised reed was...

I remember a time when I was seeking the Lord for guidance regarding a job opportunity. Every aspect of the position seemed right except for 
one: my wife and I would...

Our church has had a long-standing relationship with the elementary school down the hill from us. Church members provide for students’ material needs — from school supplies to underwear. Recently church...