Stan Mooneyham, former leader of World Vision International, tells a story* of Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese Christian who had spent his life working with and for the poor. He “was speaking at Princeton. When he finished his talk, one student said to another, ‘He didn’t say much, did he?’ A woman sitting nearby leaned over and … Continue reading When You’re Hanging on a Cross

Dear Reader: I've collected some previous Lenten meditations  to send out during this Holy Week. I hope they are a meaningful addition to your reflections in this special season. I start with one that has special significance today, as we are returning in an hour from Phoenix--just as we were the day we got the call … Continue reading Passion

Thanksgiving Day 2016 found my wife Janet and me in a prehistoric crater in Tanzania. I’d been hosting several families as we visited World Vision projects earlier in the week. Then on Wednesday evening we traveled to Ngorogoro Crater and checked into a lovely lodge where we would have our team debrief later the next … Continue reading Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart

Ever have an experience where you've heard something multiple times, but suddenly it strikes you at a deeper level and you don't know why? That happened to me this week. Some passionate World Vision supporters invited their friends to hear Dr. Vinh Chung and his wife Leisle tell their story. Vinh has a powerful testimony … Continue reading Born on Third Base

I hate the traffic snarls while driving north on I-5 toward LA where construction crews are widening the freeway. But this week the slowdown helped me see something I would have missed. The prior evening, I’d had dinner with another sixty-something couple. The conversation shifted to retirement, and they were surprised to learn that I’m … Continue reading Labor & Life: A Meditation

I keep getting fresh reminders that I am now fully and irrevocably "in my 60's." Usually it's something related to my physical health. For instance, when I had a detached retina recently, a number of caring friends asked me how this had happened.  I found it impossible not to form a sentence that referred to … Continue reading What Makes a Life?

It's not the right time to be bringing up another humanitarian crisis. I can't be seen as the constant bearer of bad news. People won't want to open my emails or take my calls.And frankly, I'm tired and overwhelmed myself. Maybe the rest of the world can deal with this new famine in East Africa; … Continue reading It’s Not the Right Time for a Crisis

Good Friday is for me the most meaningful “holy day” of the year. Solemnity, quietude, even an appreciation for beauty are all mixed together. It’s easy to be afraid of the day, thinking it’s intended to be morbid or self-mortifying. And I suppose some prefer it that way. Certainly, I make it a point to … Continue reading Into Your Courts I Come

Don’t you hate it when you run across something you’ve written and realize you still need to learn the lesson all over again?  That was exactly my experience yesterday. For Holy Week leading to Easter, I intended to send a past meditation each day—perhaps as penance for my dearth of new entries. What thwarted my … Continue reading Involuntary Sacrifices

Last week, I spoke with a long-time supporter who has been faithfully giving to Kingdom causes for many years. As she told me about a major outreach effort in her area, I sensed a real joy in her. The conversation reminded me of something I’ve been thinking about lately as I work on a book … Continue reading Turning Our Thanks into Giving