There are popular buzzwords that tell us what people value. A few examples are ‘environmental sustainability,’ ‘transparency,’ ‘wellness,’ or ‘balance.’ Two more biggies are ‘community’ and ‘friendship.’ It’s easy to SAY we want these things, but not fully realize what we’re asking for. The truth is that real community and friendship are often messy. It … Continue reading Do we REALLY want community and friendship?
relationships
Online disrespect and technotrauma
More and more people are using the internet to communicate. It makes sense. After all, it’s quick and easy to send someone an email, text or direct message. But I think there’s a growing problem. It’s that people write things that are disrespectful. Why? First, let’s be honest. We humans are deeply flawed. Second, instant … Continue reading Online disrespect and technotrauma
Gooder
None of us can deny that friendships have a huge impact on us. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” How many of us can think of a time when a good friend … Continue reading Gooder
Want to be steady for someone? Don’t be zig-zaggy
For the better part of a week I’ve been touching on the idea of being a person of your word. I’ve talked about keeping track of your promises, keeping your promises, what to do when you haven’t kept your word, and how your reliability can be someone else’s stability. Let me share another idea that … Continue reading Want to be steady for someone? Don’t be zig-zaggy
A light, even in your words
Yesterday’s devotional was about being a person of your word. I said that people who keep their promises keep track of their promises. It makes total sense. If you’re going to be a person who is trustworthy and who keeps their promises, you have to know what they are. You need to keep track of … Continue reading A light, even in your words
Can you remember what you promised?
Before the world of contracts and fine print, do you remember hearing about agreements that were made on the shake of a hand? Remember when someone could be trusted “at their word”? Nowadays, that seems rare. We live in an age of verbal mistrust. So many people break promises that it doesn’t even surprise us … Continue reading Can you remember what you promised?
First responder
Two young boys were playing mini hockey in a hallway at the arena. I watched one of them take a wrist shot with a roll of (hard) plastic hockey tape. He hit the other kid in the lip. He fell over and started to bleed. And cry. What do you do in a situation like that? … Continue reading First responder
The barrier-destroying basis of our love
Oswald Goulter was a missionary to China for 30 years. On his return trip home, his boat made a stop along the coast of India. While there, he heard about some Jewish people living in barn lofts because they had been denied entry to so many countries. Since it was Christmas time, Goulter went around … Continue reading The barrier-destroying basis of our love
Wounds from a friend
Proverbs 27:6 says: “Wounds from a friend can be trusted…” But what in the world does that mean? It means that true friends are in a unique position of trust in our lives. They care about us (and we care about them). Because of that, they can be honest. Although we tend to like honesty, … Continue reading Wounds from a friend
The ear of gossip
When I think of the word gossip I think of Rachel Lynde from Anne of Green Gables. She constantly snooped, made judgments, and then scattered her version of the “news” to other people around the town of Avonlea by flapping her unstoppable gums. But hear what it says in Proverbs 17:4 (NLT): “Wrongdoers eagerly listen to … Continue reading The ear of gossip
