When Grace Happens

“Stop! Let me do it.” That’s what the girl screamed to her brother at the Lego table in Barnes Noble. “Apart from Me you can do…nothing” ~ Jesus (John 15:5) On the days when I do writing and reading in the local bookstore, I go up the escalator and pass the “Do-It-Yourself” (DIY) section. Intermingled with the “DIY” books are shelves of FIY (Fix-it-yourself) books. I once dreamed of building a log cabin, and read a book called “Log Cabins: A Do-It-Yourself Guide,” but

The long line of people would quietly come to the front of the church, accept the small piece of bread dipped in the grape juice, raise it to their mouth and keep walking. But then there was one girl. She just held it. She stared at it from every angle. I sat on the side against the wall that morning, and as she and her mom walked past me, toward the back, she just carried it. She couldn’t take her eyes off what was in her hand. It was as if she was thinking, “Hmm, w

A little tug on my shirt tail was all it took. Every week was the same. We’d play the final song, have a short benediction, and before the preacher would say “Amen,” this little angel would sneak up behind me and tug to get my attention. Occasionally, she’d bring other angels. Perhaps they travel in packs. This angel was Ella Newmiller. Over the next few years, however, I would be the one behind her holding on to her shirt tail. Eventually, that shirt tail would become

“If you are a Christian, you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.” Congratulations! You’ve earned a free trip on American Airlines. The email looked official…so I opened it. That was the best news I had all week. Well, not really, there was a catch. I discovered that the trip I had earned was only one-way. Ok. So now the question is, “Where would I wanna go and not come back?” Of c