We’re back from H2O’s Spring Break trip to the Great Smoky Mountains! Fifty-four of us traveled from Ohio to Tennessee to learn and practice spiritual disciplines in the wilderness, like Moses, and Elijah, and John the Baptist, and countless others … Continue reading
The air temperature was a brisk 10° Fahrenheit. A light snow fell from the sky. The weather forecast called for a high of about 20° Fahrenheit and another inch of snow. But we were undaunted. We said, “We laugh in … Continue reading
December 15 The Cuyahoga Valley National Park has been a place of sanctuary for me throughout the busy Fall Semester. December 8 December 1 November 27 November 17 I’ve returned to park week after week to seek God and refocus myself … Continue reading
Dear Olivia, Dear, oh dear! Happy Birthday, my dear! That word — “dear” — is really much more than a formality with you. You are genuinely dear to me: beloved, precious, treasured, special… You are dearly loved, Olivia! You’re my … Continue reading
The waterfalls in Iceland are awesome. Not “Awesome” in the sense that I used the word in high school (basically as a synonym for “Really good”) — but “Awesome” as in genuinely awe-inspiring, awe-inducing. Reading through all the guidebooks, I’d … Continue reading
I recently read a book by a pastor who used the Dakota Badlands as a metaphor for middle-aged life and ministry. It borrowed imagery from his family vacations, driving from Baltimore, Maryland (his adopted home and church) out to Kalispell, … Continue reading
White clouds tumble into white sheets of snow and ice, sliding down off the Öræfajökull, into the Fjallsárlón. It moves at a glacial pace because, of course, it’s a glacier. Still, I’m overwhelmed by the sight of this ice-covered volcano … Continue reading
My Dad retired this summer. His career spanned 40 years of ministry employment in three small church pastorates, in the Richland Correctional Institute (both as a business school administrator and as the President/Founder of Berean Institute offering Bible classes for … Continue reading
For most of American history, the Great Plains have been an afterthought. Early pioneers crossed through the prairies and plains on their way to seek silver in Colorado, gold in California, fur trade in Oregon, or religious sanctuary in Utah… … Continue reading
I’ll never forget the rush of adrenaline and air blowing through the windows of our vehicle, as we hurtled down the Interstate, south toward Florida. “SPRING BREAK ’97!” We yelled into the night air. It was a battle cry throughout … Continue reading
