Veritas Magazine

Brainstorming »

Responding to God: A Loop Around the Neighborhood

February 28, 2010 | 11:31 PM

As I was leaving my house the other day, a neighbor was walking by with his dog (or his dog was walking by with him). The dog pulled at its leash while jumping in a snow bank, playfully trying to get closer to me.

I feel like this is a good picture of how we sometimes respond to God's will. We may need to ask ourselves, Are we in control or is God?

"And...
Read the full article ..

Redefining Cultural Christianity: A Life Worth the Risk February 9, 2010 | 10:01 PM

Sometimes those little token phrases that get tossed around the church—such as "Jesus loves everyone equally" and "Jesus is God"—aren't...
Read the full article ..

1:28 Vision: Focus on Living, Breathing People January 24, 2010 | 11:18 PM

Did you know you can have better than 20/20 vision? Try 1:28 vision. Colossians 1:28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone...
Read the full article ..

Running Out in Traffic: The Perils of Blind Courage January 20, 2010 | 9:38 AM

The other day I was on my way back to the office with my traditional mid-morning cup of coffee and...
Read the full article ..

Maybe I'm Allergic to Sin: A Life Free of Debilitating Attacks January 4, 2010 | 12:16 AM

It’s a funny thing—the events you remember from childhood. Oftentimes, the memories are sparked by a word, an event, or...
Read the full article ..

A King is Born: 3 Perspectives on Christmas December 22, 2009 | 9:31 AM

Our Humble God by Sara Bouska This is the Christmas miracle: This all-powerful God came down to the Earth as a...
Read the full article ..

Tragic Flaw: Don't be Killed Spiritually December 13, 2009 | 10:36 PM

I don’t remember much about Hamlet from high school English except that everyone dies. There’s one death in particular that...
Read the full article ..

Rational Vs. Irrational Fears: Remembering What's True November 29, 2009 | 7:43 PM

I was about six or seven years old when my mother sat me down to have an important talk. She...
Read the full article ..

I Like My Job Too Much: The Struggles of Being a Pastor November 1, 2009 | 9:54 PM

I love the comic strip Dilbert. The ironic and hilarious picture of the triviality and ridiculous monotony of American corporate...
Read the full article ..

On Being Single: God Will Provide My Escape October 25, 2009 | 10:31 PM

But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. Psalm 38:15...
Read the full article ..

On Being Single: Eight Lessons in Eight Years October 22, 2009 | 12:44 AM

My family had long ago stopped asking if there was a man in my life. “No. I haven’t met anyone...
Read the full article ..

On Being Single: Living in Contentment October 18, 2009 | 11:18 PM

So, I missed the mark. I never wanted to coin myself as the "single girl." You know her—the one in...
Read the full article ..

Great Commission Conundrum: Confessions of a Missionary August 11, 2009 | 10:44 PM

Confession: I really don’t like to share the gospel. (See my last blog post.) But I know that God wants...
Read the full article ..

Misdiagnosis: What is Worship Anyway? August 2, 2009 | 11:01 PM

I was recently sick as a dog. I ran a 102-degree-or-higher fever for a week. My throat broke out in...
Read the full article ..

Caught Red-Handed: A Lesson on Integrity July 29, 2009 | 11:51 PM

I want to start by telling you what happened to me today. Just recently I lost my job, and today...
Read the full article ..

Teflon Jesus: Say Goodbye to Sleazy Salesmen July 15, 2009 | 10:35 PM

No one likes it when sleazy salesmen try to sell us something we don't really need. I was reminded of...
Read the full article ..

Rediscovering Jesus: When Jesus Became Mighty Enough to Save June 11, 2009 | 1:03 AM

My grandma had a painting of Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane that hung on her wood-paneled walls. In...
Read the full article ..

Walking Wounded: Instructions for Working when Salaries are Cut June 8, 2009 | 9:27 AM

Are you one of the Walking Wounded? Ephesians 6:5-7 “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a...
Read the full article ..

More than a Tagline: The Perils of Church Cliches June 3, 2009 | 9:57 PM

“They stole our line! That’s what we use to describe our church!” I found myself getting a little irked at...
Read the full article ..

Mini-Addictions: Kicking the Habit, Holy Spirit Style May 31, 2009 | 9:42 PM

It would be an understatement to say that after Jesus happened to me a lot changed in my life. A...
Read the full article ..

In Search of Chivalry: Gone are the Days of King Arthur and Princesses to Rescue May 20, 2009 | 10:38 PM

I think it started when I worked on the eleventh floor. I spent a lot of time in the elevator...
Read the full article ..

Hold Nothing Back: A Life Worth the Risks May 13, 2009 | 11:33 PM

It was a cold fall day in Minnesota. The leaves were beginning to fall, and I could hear the wind...
Read the full article ..

Susan Boyle: The Most Important Marketer of the 21st Century April 23, 2009 | 12:04 PM

Like most of the rest of the world, I was deeply touched when I first encountered Susan Boyle, the decidedly...
Read the full article ..

Cheap Grace: Freedom is More than a 7-Day Sex Challenge February 28, 2009 | 11:25 AM

A few months ago, megachurch Pastor Ed Young, Jr. challenged the married couples in his congregation to have sex with...
Read the full article ..

Hit the Road: Laid Off but Not Forgotten February 8, 2009 | 9:20 AM

Let me start by first asking a simple question: Do you believe God has a plan for your life? Now,...
Read the full article ..

Wake Me to Dream: Forfeiting the Right to Imagine January 29, 2009 | 10:28 PM

If you’re anything like me, you look forward to conversations with those who know you best. They are the ones...
Read the full article ..

The Jesus Revolution: A Perpetual, Worldwide Transformation January 21, 2009 | 10:24 PM

Jesus came to start a revolution. Not merely a social or political revolution, but a revolution of the heart. He...
Read the full article ..

Canned: A Christ-Like Response to Layoffs January 14, 2009 | 12:25 AM

It wasn’t long after I got to work one morning last week when I knew something was up. A coworker...
Read the full article ..

Jolly on the Job: How to Whistle While You Work December 18, 2008 | 2:20 AM

When people think of work, typically they would rather think about the end of work. When is the work day...
Read the full article ..

Just[ified] Prayer: Replace Begging with Boldness December 7, 2008 | 12:26 AM

Asking for things involves a language of its own, and apologies often precede our requests. God doesn’t ask us to...
Read the full article ..

Holy Half Notes! How to Really Worship God December 2, 2008 | 12:42 AM

Music is a charged tool that has great power to work in people’s lives: It has the ability to interact...
Read the full article ..

Instant Gratification: Pills are No Match for Pepperoni November 13, 2008 | 10:47 PM

Imagine if we were to engineer a type of pill that could give us all the nourishment we would ever...
Read the full article ..

Slapping Jesus: When You Know You've Messed Up November 6, 2008 | 12:15 AM

It's in Chapter 18 of the gospel of John where things start to get a little tense and dramatic. Jesus...
Read the full article ..

America the Practical: The Pitfalls of Pragmatism October 22, 2008 | 12:17 AM

Earlier this year I decided that I would try to learn Hebrew. It was something that I thought would be...
Read the full article ..

Born Again Buffalo: Finding Contentment October 14, 2008 | 2:20 AM

Pop! Into the world I came. I don’t remember much about that day. I’m not sure that I’d want to....
Read the full article ..

Training Wheel Trial & the Two-Wheel Road Warrior October 9, 2008 | 11:51 PM

I remember loving my bike when I was little. I loved going fast, I loved the wind on my face,...
Read the full article ..

Good Intentions: Death Grants No Exceptions September 29, 2008 | 12:14 AM

Gravel roads reached endlessly in every direction from my grandparents' farm, and the surrounding pastures and cornfields stretched even farther....
Read the full article ..

Satan's Suburbs September 15, 2008 | 11:56 PM

What used to be a community has been traded for collective isolation. When it comes to the phenomenon known as...
Read the full article ..

Fall & The Seasonal Affection Rhombus September 5, 2008 | 12:02 AM

I don't remember when I decided that fall is my favorite season. Nor do I recall why I chose to...
Read the full article ..

Of Dentists and Chicken Soup: A Feeling of Betrayal September 4, 2008 | 10:43 PM

My favorite part of my yearly dentist visit was digging into a cardboard box of plastic toys after being told...
Read the full article ..

Forsaking the Plunge August 20, 2008 | 1:41 AM

I was about four when we discovered my aversion to water. During swim lessons, my mother would watch from the...
Read the full article ..

Musings »

It's Hip To Be Square™