The Intersection of Faith and Culture
In the summertime, kids run around in the sun, giggling. No one notices if they wear the same pair of shorts every day. They meet the other kids in the townhouse complex and they play until dark. They frolic and shriek through sprinklers on the lawn. The cold water in […]
It was while Jon Bryant was driving on the Trans-Canada Highway that reality came crashing in, rudely interrupting the game of avoidance he says he had been playing. “I wasn’t able to process anything for a long time. The feeling of being alone or homeless was something I ignored because […]
On the desk in my apartment sits a great big canvas that I painted myself that reads: “It is well with my soul.” I love the old hymn; I need to be reminded of those words every day. My desk is always the most cluttered space in my apartment. If […]
“Let’s be honest. You know your heart. The Lord knows your heart. And everybody else can go suck a lemon.” A dear friend said that to me a month or so ago. It stuck. I realized that my opinion of myself often is reflective of others’ opinions of me. I […]
I teach tiny children for a living. Every day, I deal with children who say mean things to one another. It works like this: I’m usually greeted with a teary-eyed, “Miss Bast, he hurt my feelings.” Next, I’ll pull both children aside and talk about what happened. I ask the […]
In the past I was a part of a leadership team for my church’s young adults group. As leaders, part of our role was to welcome newcomers. We greeted them at the door and got them connected. I loved the opportunity, but often times I’d leave in an anxious whirlwind, […]