Whether or Not You Feel Like It
|
She’s only a girl—a girl with fire engine red hair and a thousand freckles. She limps on shrunken legs across the commons room and slides weakly into a chair at a glass table. Glancing around the room, she looks at those of us in scrubs like she’s figuring an escape route and when her eyes land on me, I notice the prominent cheekbones, the sunken eyes,... Read More + |
|
While attending a dinner, newly elected Senator Bill Bradley asked the waiter for an extra pat of butter. The waiter said, "Sorry, one pat per person." The emcee overheard and demanded: "Do you know who this is? This is Bill Bradley! All-American from Princeton. All-Pro with the Knicks. U.S. senator! Potential president!" The waiter responded, "Do... Read More + |
|
Two behemoths rule the world of sci-fi: Star Wars and Star Trek. The two franchises have spun off movies, books, toys, and conventions. They've made piles of money, and dominated the pop cultural imagination. And they still manage to explore what it means to be human. In many ways, these stories ask the same question theologians have asked for... Read More + |
|
Some might say that insecurity is my vocational Grim Reaper. I’d prefer to see it as ingenuity keeping things fresh. Either way, the traditional success story of rising to the top eludes me because I don’t stay on any work path long enough to go Big. I get bored, say yes to the next shiny opportunity, or fill my life with so many engaging tasks that... Read More + |
|
Many church leaders are seeking to understand how to move existing churches toward a missional direction. Brad Brisco of the Missional Church Network offers nine elements that he believes need to be considered when making a missional shift. Here they are (with excerpts from each). After this list, I have a suggestion for an additional major... Read More + |
|
I thought I had plenty of time. My water broke around 10 pm on February 28. We called our friend Lisa who lived around the corner. The plan was for her to stay with Hannah, our two-year old daughter, for the night and take her to daycare the following morning while we were at the hospital. Anticipating a long night, I thought of Hannah’s birth... Read More + |
|
Narcissists are big idea people, but sometimes their ideas lead to serious consequences. Amidst a growing body of research about the impact of narcissists on the organizations they lead, participants in one study played the role of timber company owners who compete to harvest trees in the same national forests. If the "owners" prioritized short term... Read More + |
|
They call me the trailing spouse, the one-half of a marriage who gives up her comfortable life to follow her breadwinning husband and his new job posting overseas. Three years ago, I gave up everything—my family, my friends, and the home we remodeled with our own blistered and calloused hands. I gave up my Saturday morning run and the local library... Read More + |
|
Each summer, as a teenager headed for college, I was determined to make as much money as possible. My dad, a roofer, needed the help. There were perks: free transportation in Dad’s '52 Chevy, a lunch packed by mom, and a paycheck that didn’t bounce. Reality is, I wasn’t a good roofer. My lines were often crooked and, if left uncorrected, would ruin... Read More + |
|
What if someone told you they knew the secret to a better life? What if they shared this secret with you? They promised you would be able to concentrate better, enjoy life more, increase productivity at work, decrease stress at work and at home, and have a better sense of self-esteem. It sounds too good to be true. But researchers at Lancaster... Read More + |
Subscribe for free to receive email encouragements about your work—once a week, once a day, or both!
|
May 15, 2013
|
Christ the Preacher of PeaceMark D. Roberts |
According to Ephesians 2:17, Christ came as the preacher of peace. When we try to unpack the meaning of this claim, we might at first think of the literal preaching of Jesus. He did promise to give peace to his disciples (John 14:27). And he did begin the Sermon on the Mount by saying, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matt. 5:9).... Read More + |
