A Lamp Shining in a Dark Place
I will never forget when my son-in-law decided to take cell phones away. He was helping lead an Oceans Kingdom Encounter trip for a group of students from the high school where he works. We try to limit phone use on the trips, but the pull to stay connected and watch a favorite feed is […]
The Answer for an Anxious Generation
Recently I read the book “The Anxious Generation,” by Jonathan Haidt. My kids recommended this New York times bestseller book a while ago and once I started it was hard for me to put down. It definitely captures the modern day crisis spurred on by smart phones and social media. Haidt does a masterful job […]
Beauty will save the world
Have you heard the saying, “Beauty will save the world”? It comes from a novel “The Idiot” written by the famous Russian author Dostoevsky. In his novel Prince Myshkin, a Christ figure, goes against the norm of the rich and famous of his day and chooses the path of love. Myshkin is mocked as an […]
A Spiritual New Year
I have always loved the fall. The heat of summer begins to retreat as crisp mornings and cooler evenings emerge. Trees slowly turn color and all of a sudden glow like fire. A new school and church season kicks off and of course football games. In the Jewish Calendar it is the beginning of the […]
At A Child’s Pace
I still have a little competitiveness in me so when I hike up Elise’s Peak I push my aging legs in order to work up a sweat and beat or match my last time up the mountain. The only problem with this plan is I miss so much of the beauty which surrounds the rocky […]
Boldness is what I desire
Written by Mike Verkaik As I present this final blog post from our Kingdom Encounter, I am listening to a playlist the group created of the songs that were especially impactful to them during this trip. One song in particular stood out to me as I began to write. The song is Thank God I’m […]
