The newer building doesn’t look like a typical church. The sanctuary is open and inviting, with a comfortable feel. But what we will soon learn is that people make the difference. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #41: 1. “Hi, are you the DeHaans?” The usher’s question surprises me. Either he looked up Candy’s […]
Running Barefoot in the Snow In my book Bridging the Sacred-Secular Divide, I tell the story of our children running barefoot in the snow. Here’s what happened. One day I painfully realized that whenever our children asked for anything, the default answer of my wife and me was no. It mattered not how legitimate their […]
This past weekend, most of the United States switched to “Daylight Saving Time” (DST). This is a major hassle and source of many personal irritations: First, why does our government call this charade “daylight saving time?” Do they really think that it saves daylight? Or do they just think that they can dupe enough people into […]
Years ago my son Dan was on spring break from college and challenged me to a game of chess. Although I hadn’t played in several years, I readily accepted. It had been a while for Dan, too, so I figured we would be equally rusty. After making a series of errors in the first game, […]
At work I received a shocking press release. In part of it said, “It’s an open secret in healthcare communities: patients lie.” The reasons were many. Some lie because they don’t want to admit unhealthy behaviors to their doctors. For others, by not voicing a concern they subconsciously deny its existence. Still, others make their […]
Recently I had a birthday. Don’t feel bad if you missed it—I have everything I need and most of what I want—so it’s all good! For a birthday, it is the time spent with family and friends—be it directly or indirectly—that are the most significant and the best remembered. Not to be dismissed are the […]
Several years ago, I realized that a ritual had crept into my morning hair-combing routine. This added activity was inconsequential, not contributing in any way to my final appearance, yet morning after morning, I persisted in this needless habit. It took only a few seconds and eliminating it did not substantially increase my free time […]
In my newsletter a four years ago, I recommended we periodically check our credit reports. This is a wise move in order to correct reporting errors and catch possible identity theft. Other finance-related initiatives include making an annual budget, having life insurance, establishing an emergency fund, and planning for the future. On the health front […]
We’ve all heard about jet lag, that messed up, a disconcerting thing that happens to our bodies after flying across time zones. It’s been said that each time zone crossed equates to one day of recovery. For my constitution, that may be a bit generous. Though thinking back to when I frequently flew, I suspect […]
Many of my friends are younger than me, often by quite a bit. In fact, I’d rather spend time with people half my age, than my own demographic. I don’t know what they think about hanging out with me, but I think it’s great to be around them. Too many people my age have settled. […]