Amazing Grace
This church is 115 years old. It’s small. Impossibly small, only able to fit 25 people—30 people if they are scrawny. The church is nestled in Appalachia, and looks like a postcard.
Inspiration
Morgan’s Prayer
Dear God, I know you’re super busy. I know you have people bending your ear at Christmas. From every corner of the planet. Every second of the day. And I know how fussy people can be this time of year.
God Rest Ye Merry Columnist
A supermarket checkout line. Cheesy holiday music is playing overhead. Not the fun kind of cheesy music, but the kind once heard in Kmart á la 1973.
Christmas Is the Story of Love
The story of Christmas is, at its heart, the story of God’s love. It is the story of a Creator who loved His people so deeply that He could not leave us lost and separated from Him.
You Are Special
You are special. You are infinitely, unbelievably, once-in-a-septillion-years special. That’s right, I’m talking to you, one of the nine-point-two people reading this.
Break Glass When You’ve Tried Everything Else and Nothing Works: Why Your Life Still Hurts And Sucks — And How to Start Over Without Losing Yourself
If you’ve tried everything else, try the one thing that isn’t just another version of you trying harder. Try grace. Try the One who actually knows you.
Christmas With The Guys
Tonight, I am playing with Three On a String for our annual Christmas tour. We will perform four times throughout the state of Alabama, singing Christmas songs, telling stories, and presenting our show to admiring crowds of dozens. Next week is Albertville. The week after that is—I don’t remember.
We Have Heard On High
It all started when Sandra was walking home from work. It was 1969. “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was still in theaters. We landed on the moon. The top-40 hits du jour belonged to the Stones and Neil Diamond.
December’s Themes
Obviously, the Christian message about the Creator and Sovereign of the Universe sending part of himself to be human and experience his own creation is the hallmark of December.
Almost Heaven, Charlie Brown
The snow in West Virginia clings to the world like shaving cream, covering every surface, every automotive hood, every interstate sign. In the distance, the blue Appalachians stand watch over the Mountain State, like mother hens, guarding their young.
The Tyrant of Second Grade
I was scared to death. It was my first day of second grade, and I was terrified to the point of regurgitation. “Please don’t make me go to school,” I begged my mother.
Story Time With Pajamas
All the kids were sitting criss-cross on the floor in a big hotel lobby, some sipping from paper cups of hot chocolate, most wearing pajamas.
A Special Christmas Love
She was a foster kid. Grew up in a group home. A place where you basically lived in a bunk. If you were lucky, you got to shower before the other kids drained the hot water tank.
Sweet Home Alabama, The Army-Navy Game & Southern Patriotism
Sweet Home Alabama & the Army-Navy Game: A story of a decades-old military academy rivalry coupled with good, old-fashioned Southern Patriotism.
How Amazon Stole Christmas
The Christmas season was the busiest time of year for delivery-persons. Drivers saw a major uptick in workload. This did nothing to improve John’s sunny disposition.
A Peace of My Mind
My wife and I read aloud from our little Episcopal book, standing before our Advent candles, using solemn voices. The dogs were seated around our feet, trying to interpret our human words, listening closely for words like: “Ham.”
Dennis the Determined
Dennis had a LOT of personality. He was fearless, as it turned out. It wasn’t long before he was charging into new environments, bumping around until he learned the layout of each room. Dennis loved to play. Also, he learned to walk, which was something he could barely do before.
Give Us This Day Our Daily Pumpernickel
Meredith is a good Catholic woman. A mother of three. A pillar in her church. So, I can only assume this story about her father is true, since good Catholics never lie.
A Holiday In Angola
It was quite a day. Not the kind of day you’d expect to have inside a prison. The holidays were fast approaching when the inmates walked into the prison’s Bible college room and were swallowed by pink.
Christmas Signs
Tony had become urban wallpaper. Almost invisible to civilized eyes. You see Tonys all the time. Standing at a stoplight. Asking for handouts. Most drivers just keep driving.