Tag Archives: Sin

Let’s Try Again

Before the whole fishy incident, God gave Jonah this command: “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before Me.” Obviously, Jonah did not like this command, and he attempted to flee from the presence of the Lord. (Mistake #1.) You’ve probably read how thatContinue reading “Let’s Try Again”

Out of the Depths

The kitten’s piteous meowing sounded weak.  It had fallen down an old well in our yard. My son carefully removed the sheets of corrugated metal and peered into the grimy blackness. “It’s so far down,” he said. “I’m not sure I can get it out.” As one of my daughters went for a long-handled net,Continue reading “Out of the Depths”

Disarmed

This article first appeared in the September 4, 2025 edition of the Devils Lake Journal. In 1798, President John Adams issued a proclamation that May 9th be “a day of solemn humiliation, fasting, and prayer” due to the danger the United States was facing. France threatened. Commerce halted. The fledgling nation had barely enough toContinue reading “Disarmed”

How Long, O Lord?

I have a Whisperer at Bible Club. She sidles up to me, cupped hands around her mouth, ready to whisper shocking details about any of the other little kids sitting nearby. This week, it was, “Sarah, did you know that [so and so] said he was going to steal [so and so’s] bike?!” “We won’tContinue reading “How Long, O Lord?”

Big Sins, Little Sins

I cradled the little rubbery model of a 12 week old fetus in my hand. “You were only this big when your mother was three months pregnant,” I said to the little girl I was talking to. Her eyes grew wide. “I was so little!” she said. We talked about how God made her, plannedContinue reading “Big Sins, Little Sins”

Delusions

The prophet Jeremiah watched the young men of his generation trudge up into the hills to worship a delusion. Lots of young men traveled the paths up into the high places around Israel. They wanted to worship an idol that would guarantee their health, wealth, and well-being. They all lost their way. The idol consumedContinue reading “Delusions”

Solution for Disaster

Listen HERE When there are dirty dishes on the counter, it’s surprising how quickly my children remember what everyone else ate. Accusations fly faster than mashed potatoes from a spoon. Eventually, the guilty party stops throwing accusations and begins flinging excuses. It’s rare for someone to confess immediately, and even rarer for someone to voluntarilyContinue reading “Solution for Disaster”

Washed Away

Listen HERE My grandmother led us stalwartly up the mountain road. She had on her walking hat and made sure that we each had our walking sticks, either intricately carved or lobbed off a nearby tree. Each walk had a different story:  There’s a secret message tree just ahead with a knothole where explorers putContinue reading “Washed Away”

Throwing Stones

I teach my kids that it is never okay to throw rocks at passing cars, but the other day, I picked up a rock to chunk at oncoming traffic. I live on a dirt road where there isn’t much coming or going, but as I was walking, a little white pickup truck barreled down theContinue reading “Throwing Stones”