Faith

Our Daughters: Corner Pillars or Shapely Wildflowers?

by Shawn May 12, 2012
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My daughter Lucy pulls herself up into the top bunk in the hallway of the bus and pulls the shade. Later, I peek my face in and ask her what she’s up to. But at first she doesn’t hear me – her face is intent on her next drawing. In the corner of her bunk [...]

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The Life of Faith: Less Sense, Added Meaning

by Shawn May 4, 2012
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I have made some very expensive transactions on this trip. Nearly everywhere we’ve gone, I’ve gained something, and I’ve left something behind. In Virginia, we gained a kind friend who treated my kids like they were his grandchildren. He built a small fire under that southern night sky for marshmallow roasting. And I left a [...]

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Like Children Who Build Their Home Among the Graves

by Shawn April 6, 2012
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I sat at the back of the bus on Friday, Good Friday, and my eyes swam in tears as I soaked up the photos of a memorial service for my dear friends’ baby: a willow tree, pink balloons scattered in a blue sky, and a small white box that fit comfortably in one hand. I [...]

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Messages Floating Down the Creek in Poorly Crafted Vessels

by Shawn February 28, 2012

When I was a kid, I made a small boat out of scrap wood, twigs, and any kind of nails I could find. It resembled a floating bird’s nest more than any kind of seafaring vessel. Then I sat down at the kitchen table in our small farmhouse and I wrote a note about God, [...]

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Do Roses Have Thorns, or Do Thorns Have Roses?

by Shawn February 10, 2012

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have roses.” Alphonse Karr Thankfulness is very much in vogue these days. Much has been made of the positive affects of gratitude. Not a day goes by on these various social media platforms that I do not see someone espousing the [...]

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God’s Renovations Involve Wrecking Balls, Not Paint Brushes

by Shawn February 6, 2012

The house sits mostly empty on this cold Sunday afternoon. The chickens walk up on to the deck and peck at the glass patio doors, their heads twitching from side to side, trying to figure out why a wall of plastic containers obscures their view of the living room. Cardboard boxes stand by the front [...]

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Another Example of How God Doesn’t Play Low-Stakes Poker

by Shawn January 30, 2012

I got the call on the way to Virginia. First I should tell you that when we approached our wonderful landlords about our upcoming trip, we told them we would be moving out. We couldn’t afford to pay rent AND be on the road, so we planned to put our stuff in storage and then [...]

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