Lessons Learned on the Journey

The Incarnation

The Incarnation of Christ, of God becoming man in the form of Jesus, has taken on new meaning for me since my mother's death on Christmas Eve of 2015. I was reminded of the gift of Jesus, the Son…

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The Wonderful "Smallness" of Christmas

When we first moved to Hungary in 1996, I shopped in small local stores. Budapest changed as malls and "mega-stores" took over. These changes reflected the notion that "bigger is…

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Seeing Christmas Clearly

In elementary school, my teacher scraped the surface of a table onto a slide and placed the slide under the microscope. Creatures and debris invisible to my eye were exposed by the power of…

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The Best Soil in which to Grow

Teaching medical residents was often a challenge. The best soil in which to grow in knowledge and character contained two key ingredients – humility and teachability. …

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Give Thanks

Presidents in the United States have made proclamations calling for a day of Thanksgiving since the time of George Washington. This is a good thing. A day of public thanksgiving and prayer can bring…

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The Cost of Forgiveness

I often say, "Please forgive me" so glibly that I give little thought to the deep suffering my words or actions may have caused others and the resulting cost of forgiveness. This glib…

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Setting my Mind on Things Above

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. …

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Holding On versus Letting Go

A battle wages within me daily — holding on to my desires or letting go of them so that I can, in turn, grasp onto God's desires. In fact, many times when I hold on to my way, I am letting…

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What Do I Want Fixed?

If you tore away my façade—what you see on the surface—what would you observe? Brokenness, sin, and heartache. If you listened to my prayers, you might at times hear that my words…

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Dive Deeply

"Dive deeply!" This encouragement from a scuba-diving friend never took hold in my life. Although I thought about it, I remained content to stay on the surface of the ocean. The time,…

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