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Tyrant vs. True King:

The Life King Herod Missed King Herod was a mentally unstable tyrant whose paranoia led him to murder anyone he viewed as a threat to his throne. He not only murdered all the baby boys of Bethlehem under the age of two in his attempt to kill Baby Jesus (Matthew 2:16), but he also murdered one of his wives, her sons, and other members of her extended family. In his later years, he even killed his own firstborn son, Antipater (Perowne). King Herod was not a fictional character, yet writers will recognize that his life fits the character arc of a Tyrant, one of the shadow arcs of the King, perfectly. In her book, Writing Archetypal Character Arcs: The Hero’s Journey and Beyond, K.M. Weiland says, “Because the King Arc is all about surrendering power and prestige as a preparation for the descent into the underworld of elderhood (and, eventually, the end of life), the Tyrant’s rejection of this arc is ultimately an attempt to reject his own mortality” (133). If we apply this to King Herod, ...
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Peace on Earth Made Possible Now

    In many Christian traditions, peace is the focus of the second week of Advent. As we reflect on this prompt, we may think of Jesus, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and look forward to the day when He’ll make peace our permanent state of existence. No conflict. No worry. No confusion. No frustration. No anger. No heartbreak. No pain. But peace is more than something to look forward to. It’s also something we can learn to practice now. Throughout His life on this earth, Jesus showed the way. We learn that way by studying the Gospels. Through our determination, with the help of God’s Spirit, our practice of peace can help make this world more harmonious now. This is true because Jesus is our peace. Ephesians 2:14 tells us this. In the passage containing this statement, Paul is addressing hostility between Jews and Gentiles. He says that Jesus reconciled, that is, made peace between, the two groups through His death on the cross (v. 16) and that through Jesus, all people,...
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The Hope of Christmas

At Christmastime, we celebrate Jesus’ birth— as we live the life made possible through His death and resurrection— while we look forward with hope to His return. We focus on His Nativity, but we know that event has already happened. Christ’s birth is in the past, not something we hope for now. We celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas the way we celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, adoptions, and other annual celebrations of one-time events. But Christmas is more than a birthday celebration. Christmas is a remembrance of hope. We no longer hope for the promised Christ child. He has already come. Instead, we hope—look forward to—the second coming of our grown-up, mission-fulfilled, crucified, resurrected, and glorified Savior and King for eternity. The remembrance and reality of the first event is our hope for the second. We live in this hope every day. Just as God was and is and is to come (Revelation 1:8), through Advent, we celebrate what happened in the past, what is happening...
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Book Review: The Sacred Art of Slowing Down

More than once, I have told my husband something like: “My head knows that this current experience is not like that experience from years ago, but it can’t convince the rest of me.” At these times, my head has declared the situation safe and my status secure while my body and emotions have reacted with anxiety, stress, and a need to control. I respond with panic and a desire to fight (not literally), take flight, or freeze. My body and emotions work together, demanding a quick solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. My head throws up its figurative hands and says, “There is no reasoning with them!” Thankfully, this occurrence is rare. But if you understand this (IYKYK), The Sacred Art of Slowing Down by A. C. Seiple can be a useful tool as you work to bring your thoughts, emotions, spirit, and physical reactions together. It is a tool that God can use to help you heal what’s broken, so that you can move forward in a healthy way. As I read Seiple’s book, I especially appreciated ...
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It Happened in the Sunshine

 . . . When I Closed My Eyes The mid-afternoon sun fell through the upstairs window onto the comfy chair. Finding the invitation irresistible, I sat down, leaned back, and closed my eyes. Blanketed in sunshine, I fell into a false sleep through which I could hear the pitter-patter of production all around. When the little girl with golden hair shrieked and fell from the top of the garage, landing with a thump, I considered opening my eyes. Instead, I scrunched them tighter. The clanging of the firetruck assured me help was coming. The girl would pull through fine as ever as she always did, perhaps with a new scratch or two. The clatter of cars lining up was the next sound to invade my not-quite-nap. The orange-haired girl with freckles would be manning the red open-wheel racer. The boy with the orange ball cap and permanent smirk would drive the yellow prototype. Owners who never left their assets would drive those remaining cars. I didn’t have to look to know. The engines rumb...
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How to Finish What You Start

For the past two days, I have been doing something new, yet also old. Twenty-four years ago, my husband gave me a beautiful cross-stitch project for my birthday. Our family had just moved to the Netherlands, and we were living in a hotel waiting for the home we planned to rent to become available. The owner of the home liked renting to military families and had a knack for lining up new tenants before the old ones moved out. The home was worth the wait; it remains one of my all-time favorite standouts from our many moves. The long-term hotel we were staying in, however, was not close to town, and our family had only been allowed to bring one car overseas. My husband needed it for work, so our three sons and I were somewhat hotel-bound. Furthermore, we only had the belongings we had carried in our suitcases for entertainment. We made good use of the library on weekends to keep us occupied throughout the week. The cross-stitch project was something I could do whenever the boys were eng...
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Early Learning

Daddy taught me: When you work the puzzle without the box, Your reward is greater Wonder, surprise — Satisfaction! Build the frame first. It’s your map. Then connect colors and shapes. Use your fingers, your eyes. Seek the subtle nuance That makes one piece right for another, No other. Persist — Piece by piece, One delight of discovery at a time Until the great reveal: Picture complete. Then pause, stare. Run your hands over your smooth work Done. Life doesn’t come with a box. * * * Photo by  Ryoji Iwata  on  Unsplash
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