For this week’s blog, I offer to you the following prayer from one of my favorite prayer books, The Valley of Vision….prayers from our Puritan fathers. This one is called “A Disciple’s Renewal” and I trust it will pour courage and hope into your heart this day. “O My Saviour,

The measure of our effectiveness as a ministry is directly proportional to how well we facilitate stillness and rest. Whenever we come alongside leaders and teams we urge and encourage them to press the pause button of their busy lives and learn to do nothing well. It’s totally counter-intuitive, but

The Museum of Russian Icons was founded in 2006 as a non-profit educational institution by Massachusetts industrialist, Gordon B. Lankton. The collection includes more than 400 Russian icons, the largest collection of its kind in North America, and one of the largest private collections outside Russia. The collection spans six

I was shocked to discover some of the names of current “reality” television shows, including Toddlers and Tiaras (yes, very young girls being paraded in front of judges in beauty pageant glamour). Or, how about Extreme Couponing; Hoarding: Buried Alive; Real Housewives (of Orange County, New Jersey, or New York);

Father’s Day 2011 has come and gone. It was a great day in our household, with the family gathered together for good food and fun…one of our better ones, I might add! As the day comes to a close, I’m reminiscent of my own father, who nearly a decade ago

At Pentecost Jesus followed through on his promise: “If a man is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him

One of my Sabbath activities today included an hour of walking through Great Meadows in Concord (MA). It’s one of my favorite destinations for exercise, reflection and prayer. Great Meadows is a National Wildlife Refuge, teeming with habitat…including a delightful diversity of birds, waterfowl (mallards and ducks), as well as

Oprah Winfrey’s daily talk show came to an end last week. It was a major television event. Several big names were showcased on the show, including Maya Angelou. When asked why Oprah was so influential and loved worldwide, Maya mentioned that chief among the reasons was how well she listened

I’m doing a slow read through the classic The Imitation of Christ. It is best read slowly, reflectively, and prayerfully. It’s too much to absorb as a quick read and it’s impossible to complete in one setting. I decided to pick it up once again after nearly two decades since

Recently I left my smart phone at home as I rushed out the door to an early morning meeting. I didn’t realize what was missing until I pulled into the parking lot for my 7:30 am connection with two very important people related to our ministry. I was instantly infuriated