By Jonathan Waits Have you ever been in a place where you were totally content? That’s a hard place to be. It goes against our natural inclinations. Our natural lean is to constantly reach and strive for whatever is the…
Lazy, hazy days of summer
When our son, William and his wife, Mary Kate announced to us their pregnancy we were thrilled to say the least! Our first grandchild! No, wait, there’s two?!? Twins! For months we have been anticipating their arrival and entering into…
Leave no one behind
As anticipated the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals last week. These 17 goals will help set a global agenda for the next 15 years (also called around the U.N. “Agenda 2030”). The SDGs are…
7 things I (re)discovered on sabbatical
C.S. Lewis once said that most of us don’t need to be told new things, but rather reminded of old truths. This has certainly been true in my own journey these past few months. On June 1, I entered into…
The chaos of waiting
Clearly there had been some mistake. Mark was thirty-four-years old and healthy. He had never even spent a night in the hospital. We had a two-year-old son. We had plans for a vacation and our careers and our family. How…
Giving Thanks: More Than a Holiday Slogan
Giving thanks is more than a holiday slogan. Like a catalyst, real gratitude re-shapes our attitude and reconfigures our personality. Elie Wiesel proposes that, “When a person doesn’t have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person…
The benefits and drawbacks of boundaries
I have a love/hate relationship with boundaries. On the plus side, they protect my family and me and all that I care about. Years ago a friend said, “Your right to swing your arm stops where my nose starts.” I…
Take care of yourself
About twenty years ago, as our daughters were becoming adults, I began using a parting mantra that was new to me. Instead of a simple “Good-bye” or “I love you” or “Be good,” I began to say, “Take care of…
‘We admitted we were powerless….’
You don’t have to get on an airplane or traverse an ocean to make discoveries. About twenty-five years ago, I began visiting church basements and other community rooms where, once or twice each week, men and women gathered to talk…