following – 300 words a day

The danger of being captivated by fear.

I was talking with a friend about fear I have. It was a good conversation. He helped me think it through. And I’m not going to talk with you about it. He prayed for me, asking that I wouldn’t be “captivated by fear.” I confess, I took out my pen and wrote the phrase on my hand […]

by Jon Swanson

loved.

On Sunday, the reading was from John 10, where Jesus talked about being a shepherd and caring for his sheep, proactively loving us. So why have a text that talks about God’s deep love for us which comes before our actions? Because most of the mothers I know are concerned about being good enough as […]

by Jon Swanson

who else is there?

What makes you stay? When you are part of a group and public opinion shifts, what makes you stay? How much attention do you pay to the way people are talking? If lots of people are talking positively about your group, does that make you feel more attached? If lots of people start to raise […]

by Jon Swanson

An evening of hopeful stories.

Becky and Rich wanted to get some people who needed to hear stories about hope together with some people who needed to tell stories about hope. When I write that sentence, I realize that means just about everyone. But you can’t invite everyone, not to the same living room at the same time. The dream […]

by Jon Swanson

For those of us who live tentatively.

I have friends who read a lot. They set goals. They keep lists. They track their reading online. A couple weeks ago, I read a bunch of books. I was going to put them on my online reading list. But then I started thinking. “Are these the right kind of books to list?” I thought. […]