Month: April 2018
Empowering Refugees to Stay Close to Home: Part II
Last week I talked about two practical actions the church can take to encourage and enable refugees to remain close to their homes and homelands. This is a continuation of that thinking. Practical Action 3:...
Writing Tracker – Week 16 (April 15 – 21)
Writers write. That’s the bottom line. Last week was a bit slower than Week 15, which had been my most prolific of the year. I traveled for business this week, which cut into my writing...
Empowering Refugees to Stay Close to Home: Part I
In light of the “refugee crisis” in Europe and fearful refugee policies mounting in the United States, it is not surprising that many believe the first course of action provided to refugees is resettlement. That,...
Writing Tracker – Week 15 (April 8 – 14)
Writers write. That’s the bottom line. Last week was my most prolific week of 2018. I wrote more than 12,000 words, crossing the 10,000-word mark for the first time this year. I’ve been surprised over...
Responding to Refugeeism: A Three-Pronged Plan of Action
And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward. – Matthew...
Three Views on Tax Reform
With Tax Day nearly upon us–and a couple months removed from a significant tax overhaul in this country–I am reminded of the fascinating book I read at the start of this year: Arnold Kling’s “Three...
Assessing My Writing Goals After Three Months – Q1
At the start of the year, I set out writing goals for myself. These goals were part of a larger investment strategy—investing in skills and desires such that they compound to reach long-term objectives bigger...
The Sin of Samwise Gamgee
When Gandalf first speaks to Frodo about Gollum, once called Smèagol, Frodo has nothing but disgust. What he knows about the creature comes from Bilbo, and it is all loathsome. “I can’t believe that Gollum...
Writing Tracker – Week 14 (April 1 – 7)
Writers write. That’s the bottom line. What a difference a week makes! Looking over the first three months of 2018, I really got into a groove with this blog. I have enjoyed posting so frequently...
Reveling and Wrestling Through ‘The Heart of Man’
It’s a docu-drama that wraps a handful of deeply personal interviews around a sincerely affecting retelling of the story of the prodigal son. Watching the movie on a whim, without any prior context, I was...