The Holy Spirit Literally Opened a Door for My Family Today

Categories: MiraclesTags: · · · · 3 Comments

The other day, I had a phone conversation with a priest who serves an extremely impoverished population.  He also has a ministry in which he teaches people how to be more aware of themselves and God during their daily lives. The way we ended up on the phone is so random that it’s not even worth it to explain, but what stood out to me was how joyful, sharp, and engaged he was – especially as he talked about the Holy Spirit.  I admire people who can concretely talk about the Holy Spirit; because although He feels closer than my skin sometimes, at other…

My Friend’s Wife is Going to Jesus Today – Please Pray

Categories: MarriageTags: · · · · · 9 Comments

Last week, I posted a status update on my Facebook page asking the readers of the blog to pray for a miracle for Wanda Harrison, the wife of my friend Kevin.  She had unexpectedly suffered a brain bleed that left her in a coma and without much hope for surviving.  I concluded the status update by saying, I know that it’s hard to figure out how to respond to status updates like this one. Nobody wants to ‘like’ bad news. So here’s an idea: if you will join me in a simple prayer for God to do a wild miracle…

A Lesson About Missions from a Drunk Lady

Categories: Growing PainsTags: · · · · 4 Comments

The other night, I was a block away from my house when I saw an older, heavy-set, white female with a cane stumbling down the sidewalk, trying unsuccessfully to hold onto three bags of groceries.  I rolled down my window and asked her if she needed a ride. “Oh, yes, yes,” she said with a New Jersey accent, slurring her words and almost crying.  Her dyed, jet black hair was wrapped in a scarf; and her eyes peered out from behind thick, black mascara.  She appeared to be seriously drunk.

Finding Jesus at a Painful Craigslist Purchase

Categories: PrayerTags: · · · · 2 Comments

My wife has gone Craigslist crazy lately and is finding all these great deals on furniture for our new home, which is great, but picking up the furniture can get complicated. The other day, she told me she wanted to get this armoire from a moving sale, and I resisted. Well, anyway, I lost that battle, and the next thing I knew, I was setting Google Maps to find a gated home in the boonies of Maryland. This was the beginning of what will go down as one of the roughest Craigslist purchases in history.

What Evangelists and Pit Bull Lovers Have in Common

Categories: It's About TrustTags: · · · 1 Comment

The other day, I was riding the city bus with my daughters in Washington, D.C., when I noticed a heavy-set, middle-aged couple sitting next to us wearing shirts that appeared to read “MILLION MAN MARCH FOR BIBLES” in hot pink.  But I wasn’t totally sure that’s what it said, because they were leaning forward looking at their phones, and it made it hard to read their shirts.

What We Do to Ruin the Moment

Categories: It's About TrustTags: · ·

I used to be convinced I was going to spend the rest of my life in Venezuela. I had a number of friends there, I loved the culture, and the gorgeous Venezuelan ladies treated me like a celebrity when I visited during my junior year of college.  So when I got back from my visit, I spent an inordinate amount of time talking about my plans for moving.  And my poor mother was one of the main victims of my endless diatribes about the new life I thought I wanted.

How to Know You’re Saved

Categories: This and ThatTags: · · · · · · · · · 1 Comment

A significantly modified version of this post appeared at the Boundless Blog.  You can find that here.  (I like them both.) I was sitting in the church service when I heard the preacher say something that made me cringe: “If you can’t remember the day you gave your heart to Jesus, then you probably never were saved in the first place.”