by on

You should always be trying to write a poem you are unable to write, a poem you lack the technique, the language, the courage to achieve. Otherwise, you’re merely repeating yourself, going nowhere because that’s always easiest” (John Berryman, quoted in Letters & Life, by Brett Lott). This week saw the thousandth blog from a good […]

by on

The greatest challenge with wielding influence is getting out of the way. Whether I’m writing, teaching, or praying, my focus often drifts back to me — and I am not the point. Brett Lott references this theme in Letters & Life, his slim volume on being a writer: I saw, suddenly and fully, that a story was about the […]

by on

These two excerpts, drawn from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, reflect the honor and importance of local pastoring. There’s much to be said about shepherd and sheep knowing each other. A clergyman cannot be high in state or fashion. He must not head mobs, or set the tone in dress. [Rather, he] has the charge of all that […]

by on

When you go through a crazy season and need to regroup, how do you find your bearings? In our family we forged a set of shared waypoints — the five ideas we use to gain perspective and clarify what matters: It’s better to be than to seem. Love is stronger than will. Seek the truth. Take the long […]

by on

We just moved from a house to an apartment. Our living space dropped by sixty percent, and we lost our yard, garage, and basement. We had to get rid of most of our stuff. Painful as that was, it was life-changing. Now our lives are more relational and agile. I recently watched some friends walk through […]