At the Intersection of Christian Faith, Worldviews, Nature, and the Arts
John 14:15-21; Acts 1:1-11 Right after World War II, a U.S. Army officer and his wife were stationed in that country. Japan had been devastated by the war. The economy was in shambles. Unemployment approached 60%. People came to the army wife’s door daily looking for work. One man said he could do wonders for her …
After ministering to those shaken by the bombings along the route of the Boston Marathon, specially trained therapy dogs have been deployed to help those struggling to recover from the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The dogs and their handlers are members of the Lutheran Church Charities K-9 Comfort Dog team that is headquartered …
Continue reading "Comfort Dogs Bring Comfort and Healing to the Grieving in Boston and Texas"
We spent Sunday afternoon picking strawberries at a delightful family-owned farm on the coast of North Carolina. As we were paying for our basket of delectables, we learned from the owner that it cost $50,000 to plant his five acres and that this season's crop is the worst he's seen in 15 years. The reason …
Beloved gospel singer George Beverly Shea, 104, of Montreat, N.C., soloist of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, died Tuesday evening following a brief illness. News of his passing has taken me back in memory 22 years. In 1991, the Graham Association created a profile of my life and ministry for airing during one of the …
Continue reading "George Beverly Shea: A Life Lived “On Pitch”"
In Episode 25 of On the Road with Mac and Molly, the focus is on the Pawsitive Partners Prison Program, which is operated under the umbrella of Monty's Home. This North Carolina-based organization was inspired into being by the love and generous spirit of Monty, a dearly loved therapy dog and canine star who brought …
Matthew 25:14-30 I used to be a mall rat. Not anymore. Now -- only when absolutely necessary – do I drag myself to one of the mega shopping complexes. Then I run in, get what I need and run out. However . . . Some time ago – as I was running out -- something caught my …
Continue reading "Oscillating Mascaras and Fish-Finding Watches"
John 3:16; Matthew 28:1-6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 6:4 Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Christ is alive! And, at the appointed time – in the fullness of time -- trumpets will sound, choirs will sing their alleluias, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed – the …
Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen and ethnic Iranian who returned to Iran, has been imprisoned and tortured there for six months because of his Christian ministry. The prosecutor, in outlining the charges against him, said Abedini had undermined the Iranian government by creating a network of Christian house churches. “This is a real travesty, …
Continue reading "Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians"
John Ruskin was a leading English art critic, social thinker and philanthropist of the Victorian era. He was also a watercolorist who lamented that most individuals do not take the time nor make the effort to see what is right before them. In The Art of Travel, Alain de Botton notes that Ruskin believed one way to "possess beauty …
For two years, two months and two days - from late 2010 to the start of this new year - my husband and I traveled across the United States in search of "experiences outside of our experiences." Now settled for a time, I am preparing a book that traces the spirit-elevating lessons to be found …
Continue reading "The Wild Life: Surprise Encounters in the Natural World"
