Inside Out People

Well, it’s about that time again: time to pick a new president. Love it, hate it, couldn’t care less about it, it’s here.

If you’ve turned on your television at all during the past two weeks it’s likely you’ve seen representatives of each of the two political parties bad-mouthing each other’s candidates: he’s too old, he’s too young, he doesn’t get it, he doesn’t have what it takes, and on and on it goes, back and forth.

Of course, it has been a wild ride,

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Nearly a year and a half ago I started my job as a caseworker with refugees from Cuba. Today is my last day.

I knew this day, August 22, was coming for quite a while, and at times it seemed like it couldn’t get here soon enough. But here it is, and yes, it has snuck up on me.

This afternoon after hauling a desk/cabinet/shelf/monstrosity from one house to another, and after dropping off a couple of food baskets for recently arrived clients, I’ll come back to the office(…)

I recently returned from two, back-to-back missions trips to the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica spanning three full weeks. In returning and reflecting on those weeks I was struck by the question of, “Now What?” Everything in my normal life that I have returned to seems so unimportant and anti-climatic that is has been tough seeing it as being worth anything. There was such significance and depth to those three weeks of ministry and discipleship that returning to a job search, school prep., and grass mowing (which I still have not done) just seems pointless.  This assessment is not limited to(…)

We apologize to our faithful readers for not being as consistent with our posts over the last few weeks. Three out of the four of us will be leaving very early on August 1 to spend 10 days in Costa Rica on a short term mission trip. We look forward to the challenging and stretching experience that lies ahead. If you are interested in staying up to date on the trip, follow this Costa Rica Team link. As a team, we will study through the New Testament book of Philippians. If you are(…)

My experience with the Bible growing up was going to church and being taught by a pastor, and then being encouraged to read the Bible on my own. Then many began to emphasize the importance of being in a small group in order to study the Bible, pray, hold each other accountable, etc. This past week I had the privilege of being a part of a short term mission trip to New York City with 23 teenagers and 7 leaders. One of our many faith building activities included group Bible studies. Every student and leader(…)

I have nothing to say, but sometimes that is a good thing. Sometimes we need to just be still and silent. I think in our modern society we get so use to things being “crazy” all the time that we forget that sometimes things do slow down, and it’s okay to just be. I have often been drawn to God in my life during those crazy times, which is perhaps why they happen, but now I need to learn how to be drawn to God in the quite moments too. This week I’ve been reminded

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This week I had a small epiphany. Amidst the craziness of trying to keep dozens of refugees alive and happy and under control (with my two coworkers temporarily in Africa and South America, respectively), something set in that I normally don’t experience a whole lot of: stress. Bona fide stress. I’d been coming into work early, leaving work late, and waking up in the middle of the night wondering if so-and-so’s rent had been paid. Increasingly, the thought of my upcoming trip to Costa Rica and then, this fall, returning to school and leaving my job behind began to seem(…)

Sorry that I am a few days late with this post but I just got back from a week at the beach with my family.    The very first day, I was reminded again why Jesus tells us that we need to receive the kingdom of God like a child.  (Luke 18:17)  Each year we spend at least a week or so at the same house owned by a relative.  My oldest daughter is nearly 5 and she has been to that house several times.  The house is very modest - 2 small bedrooms, eat-in kitchen, living room, family room,(…)

     Did you ever have one of those sins that you seem to be addicted to? That sin that no matter how many times you confess it, or how many times you swear it will never happen again I always does. I know that in the eyes of God a sin is a sin and all sins are equal in that they require a blood sacrifice, but this type of sin is especially frustrating because it makes me feel and realize how weak I really am. I often look at people who are addicted to

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So I was at the clothing bank this morning, waiting in the fluorescent-lit, plywood-walled hallway as some of our newly arrived refugees filled trash bags with a hodge-podge of hand-me-downs. I had taken along a book to read, as is my custom - this time the brand new miscellany by Frederick Buechner. I found it hard to focus on the book, however - as engaging as Buechner’s writing always is - because down the hallway was a single mother with two children, both of them vying for her attention, both of them picking fights with each other.

“Mommy, he poked me in the(…)