The Daily Memo

In rural Amish culture, the building of a barn is a social event. It would take months for a single farmer and his family to construct a barn, but the Amish, doing it together, make quick work of it. Lumber is stocked ahead of time; tools are prepped. On the designated day, the entire Amish community gathers early, divvies up tasks, and together pitches in to raise a barn—sometimes in a single day. This is a good picture of God’s vision for the church and our…

Disappointment is an emotional response to dashed hopes, goals, and desires. Sometimes it’s the result of circumstances beyond our control, but when others are involved, it’s easy to blame them for the situation. We might even lose faith in the person we think let us down. Martha and Mary could relate. The gospel of John tells us that Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus (John 11:5). Because of this, they expected He would come…

The resurrection of Jesus was the first of many, the forerunner of our own. He paved the way, as the saying goes. The fact is that Christ has been raised from the dead. He has become the first of a great harvest of those who will be raised to life again. (1 Cor. 15:20 NLT) God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of…

True friends are those who are willing to partner with us in things that really matter to us. True friends are willing to help simply because they love us, even if the task isn't something they would have ordinarily valued. In John 21:15 we gain insight into a conversation between two friends, Jesus and Simon Peter. Scripture says, When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to,…

When someone repeatedly wrongs us, we often try to draw a line at the number of times we’ll accept apologies. In other situations, we may attempt to categorize which offenses we’ll pardon. But Jesus drew no such lines at the cross. God’s unconditional pardon of our sins means that our forgiveness toward others should likewise have no limitations—even when certain behaviors can’t be allowed to continue. Another issue is the temptation to hang on…

When Abraham Lincoln became president of the United States, he was tasked with leading a fractured nation. Lincoln is viewed as a wise leader and a man of high moral character, but another element to his makeup, perhaps, was the foundation for everything else. He understood that he was inadequate for the task at hand. His response to that inadequacy? Lincoln said, “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to.…

Things are not what they were meant to be. East of Eden, we have kept moving east and come all the way ’round, finding the garden utterly lost and cruelly unrecognizable. We were all born into this world. We came in gasping for air, and we are gasping still. It’s a tough place to make a living, a hard place to make a life. Fire and ice. Beauty and terror. Pain and healing. Intertwined. The good news is that Life wins out. Life has already won out. Love has won.…

When we’re recovering from hurts or mistakes, some people will tell us to forget the past. “There’s no way of changing it,” they say, “so why worry about it?” Other well-intended people will tell us to focus on the future. But the truth is that we need to consider our past, present, and future if we want to build our life in a healthy and balanced way. Let’s consider the present. It’s true that we can’t change the past,…

Throughout the world, people are mistreated and traumatized, and many carry deep scars throughout life. Not everyone’s experiences are extreme, but even mild hurts can fester, affecting relationships and self-image. Something as common as betrayal or rejection by friends or family can lead to distorted thinking and negative behaviors. Unhealed hurts can lead to various symptoms, such as feelings of inferiority, fear of failure or criticism, and oversensitivity. Some…