November 2010 – Page 2 – 300 words a day

There is no pie in thanks.

When I was growing up, we went to church on Thanksgiving Eve. It was a small church. Everyone knew everyone else’s story. So when people stood up and talked about what they were thankful for, we knew that they meant it. We knew what had happened. Afterwards, we had pie. It was great. I looked […]

by Jon Swanson

From the middle of the congregation.

There was a man in front of me at church on Sunday. The long blond hair on his shoulder wasn’t his wife’s. But I wasn’t worried. It was her wig’s. They have spent the year learning about chemo and radiation. The woman with her hands in the air, singing isn’t with her husband. It’s because […]

by Jon Swanson

Provoked.

You know how to push buttons, right? I don’t mean elevator buttons, though these can make things move. I don’t mean starter buttons, though sometimes things can get pretty explosive. No, I mean the metaphoric buttons located on the hearts of people you know. Often, those buttons are the people you most care about, the […]

by Jon Swanson

A prayer of thanks.

David assigned a group of Levites to praise God. He gave them a sample of how to do it, the first sentences of which are here: Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful […]

by Jon Swanson

Going back to John

A good surgeon, before the surgery, will tell you what you will feel like afterward. A good contractor, before lifting a hammer, will help you see what things will look like after all those walls are smashed. A good disciplemaker will explain at the beginning the struggles that will come in the middle. The goal […]