"Made in the USA"

Have you noticed how few consumer products are made in the USA? (For my non-US readers, how about for your country?) The Lovely Joanne's company works with a lot of manufacturers who are working to get more jobs back on American soil, in this modern global economy. And with the Fourth of July coming up, American pride is involved too. But for me, there's something

"Renewal Information Enclosed"

I pulled an envelope out of the mailbox the other day, with "Renewal Information Enclosed" in big letters across the front. I opened it excitedly -- maybe it was an offer for a free vacation somewhere, or even better, a retreat where my spiritual energy could be renewed. No such luck, they were just billing me for another year's membership in this organization. Bummer! But the good news is, renewal information is already inside

You Won't Want to Miss This!

You may remember the story of Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 20 years and woke to a much different world. Have you ever felt like that? I sometimes think that way about my journey through legalism and the first decades of beginning to understand grace. Oh, how good it would be to see all that again, with what I know now! Some days I still miss the point (I'll get back to that). How is

Individual or Person?

John Wayne and a lot of other actors personified a myth we see often in American literature, the 'rugged individual' who fights his or her lonely fight, and at some point in the story even turns away from those who offer comfort and shelter. I'm sure you've read books or watched movies along that line. The reality, though, is much different. Not one of us is