Good summaries are invaluable. Sorry to every English teacher out there, but when I was in high school, book summaries called "Cliff's Notes" (if you're younger, think Spark Notes or Schmoop) helped me understand the meaning of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and other challenging texts. These summaries were priceless in helping me understand the author's main idea...

Busywork. Nobody likes busywork- those activities that take time but don't connect to a greater purpose. Meaningless worksheets for students. Time wasting projects at work. Life-sucking chores at home. Busywork seems pointless. If you're honest, I suspect there are times when your walk with the Lord can feel like busywork. At such times, your internal dialogue may generat...

In the days before smartphones and GPS, when you got lost on the road, you had two options: You could try to find your way back on your own, or You could ask for directions. The same two options are available to us when we are lost, or struggling, or feel distance in our relationship with God. If you've lived long enough, you know that option #1, trying to find your...

The brutality of war. The sting of death. The defeating diagnosis of disease. The reality of failed relationships. Injustice is everywhere. In this environment, cynicism and despair often flow freely. We feel a need to blame someone (or something) for our predicament. Our political leaders, the government, big tech, foreign nations- they are all candidates. Other suspects...