The recent issue of Sojourners magazine cited some sobering facts about the state of the prison system in the United States: 7.4 million people were under the control of the US criminal justice system in 2007. I’m not exactly sure what is meant by “under control,” but that is over 2 percent of the population, […]
Fast for the Right Reasons In the Bible, Jesus tells his followers to fast. It is not optional.He doesn’t say, “If you fast…,” but rather, “When you fast…” Jesus’ teaching applies to us too. Fasting is intentionally going without something in order to better connect with God, such as to focus on prayer or seek […]
When people call me during the winter months, they often ask about the weather. These queries are usually about the snowfall, but sometimes, temperature. I suspect that these questioners are hoping that my winter weather is worse than theirs—and most of the time, it is. Living east of Lake Michigan, our weather is greatly influenced […]
In the book of Genesis, chapter 5, Adam’s family tree is listed, including the ages of him and his descendants, with many recorded life spans hovering around 900 years, plus or minus a few decades. While some doubt the veracity of these records, I’m willing to accept these ages as presented. (In Genesis 6:3, after […]
Excerpts from the Miracle Ministry of John G. Lake By John G. Lake (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) This small book is a quick read, yet filled with amazing stories and accounts of God at work through his servant, John G. Lake. This work was compiled by Lake’s son-in-law and takes the form of a first-person […]
Last fall, the USPS notified me that my once acceptably positioned mailbox was no longer acceptable. It needed to be moved closer to the road so that I could reliably receive mail during the snowy winter months. I determined that it was in my best interest to acquiesce to their “request” and reposition my mailbox […]
In the past, I have blogged about my efforts to stop unwanted newspapers and magazines from showing up uninvited in my mailbox. This task has been quite successful and I have found that most publishers make it easy to be removed from their mailing lists (though often one or two mailings are already being worked […]
A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America By Mike Yankoski (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) College student Mike Yankoski felt a promoting to truly understand what it was like to be homeless—by living among them. After careful planning Mike, and friend Sam, embarked on a six-month, six-city odyssey that completely changed all their perceptions […]
What Changes Do You Plan to Make? Happy New Year! From my family to yours, I hope that you have a safe, healthy, and prosperous year. The new year is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions. Common ones include losing weight, saving money, going back to school, finding a better job, improving or […]
(Back row: Laura & Chris, Dan & Kelli, Front Row: Candy & Peter) This year our Christmas celebrations began last Saturday with one side of the family, continued Christmas Eve with the other side, and concluded Christmas morning with our kids. By 10 a.m., both couples had departed for more family celebrations of their own—but […]