Dear John, Keep your fingers crossed for that totally white hair and beard combination. It takes a few more years but the evolution comes to pass and getting to play Santa every Christmas afterwards is pure unadulterated joy. Don’t fear the extra pounds around the middle, a part of the gig is fitting in the suit. And the poetry?...

Your life is fast. And busy. And stressful. Need a breather? Read the full article on how to Relax by Changing Your Definition of Success.  Image by Eric Hart. Used with permission. Sourced via Flickr. Post featured by The High Calling Welcome Editor Cheryl Smith.

Early on Thanksgiving morning, I drove down an eerily silent College Avenue in State College, Pennsylvania, to deliver a couple of pies to the community kitchen in my church basement. The town felt strangely somber. Streets were empty, students and many of the faculty members—more than half the borough’s population—gone....

It’s common among Christians (and even non-Christians) to distinguish between “sacred” and “secular.” But the distinction presents a danger, says the Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture – we come to see what we do on Sunday as vastly more important than what we do the rest of week, and especially the...