Les Miserables, Victor Hugo’s novel, is the story of a man who is sentenced to 19 years of hard labor for stealing bread. Jean Valjean turned into a tough convict. On his release, he was offered shelter by a kindly… Continue reading

That was fun,” the boy said as we left an awards ceremony where his achievements were recognized. It was fun to enjoy the reward of his real efforts. However, I smiled as he said it because he had unconsciously touched… Continue reading

Harriett is a re-telling of the story of Harriett Tubman, the diminutive woman who escaped slavery by traveling 100 miles alone, without food, while being pursued by men bent on returning her to servitude. She returned several times to lead… Continue reading

I love it when I awaken to the birth of a new week on Mondays with a clear sense of my purpose and plans, eager to tackle the tasks at hand.  I look at my calendar app in my phone… Continue reading

We were talking in general terms about spiritual things. The other person admitted to being deeply discontent with life, in spite of having what appeared to be an enviable lifestyle. Cars, vacations, a nice home … yet she was dissatisfied. … Continue reading

Are you confident in God’s love for you, completely assured that you are right with Him?  In my pastoral care, I talk with people who wonder if they have made the cut with God, if an eternal home is really… Continue reading

I like to see a return on investment, don’t you?  When I put my time and effort into a project, I want to know that something positive will come of it. A friendship that deepens into a partnership is a… Continue reading

Endless clamor in our political realm, threats of violence, a world that changes in moments rather than years – all of these things, and more, conspire to create unrelenting anxiety in millions of people today. That emotion, by the way,… Continue reading

Inside your body there is a tireless muscle that contracts around 60 times per minute, night and day, when you’re awake or asleep. In your lifetime your heart will pump life-sustaining, oxygen rich blood throughout your body.  It works- very… Continue reading

Two recent conversations were hard and sad.  In one, a woman described how she decided to end her marriage of 20 years, not for infidelity, not for abuse, but because,  in her words, “I just needed more than he was… Continue reading