I have reached the stage of life where too many of my friends share the same name. Any sentence that begins with “Mark says” is immediately interrupted by Liessa and my daughter, Rachel, who ask without hesitation, “Which Mark?” After enough of these exchanges, a small but necessary decision was made. In my writing, my …
The Spirit of God often works by calling people not to control, but to respond. To listen. To yield. To carry the gospel not only in words, but in lived faithfulness. Life holds lament and celebration, resistance and rejoicing. Faithfulness is not proved by volume or certainty, but by remaining attentive to the Spirit’s song …
Seven Reflections Table of Contents A Note from Ron Part One — Recovering Advent What Advent Is (Part 1) What Advent Has Become (Part 2) Part Two — The Season We Forgot Advent and the Season We Forgot Our Renewed Awakening to Advent Part Three — Reflections in the Light The Night Shines Like the …
Note from Ron This four part collection is being sent as a 2025 Christmas gift to those I consider family and close friends. I am putting the final touches on it early Christmas Eve morning, while our home is quiet. Our three grandchildren and their parents from New Jersey are upstairs sleeping, Liessa is resting …
A Preface of Sorts Mark and I have talked most weekday mornings for nearly a year—since January 2025–when life doesn’t interrupt our schedules. Enclosed are a few reflections I’ve written over the past eleven months. Here’s what continues to unfold: “I’ve learned that faith doesn’t always make sense when you can’t find your glasses. I’ve …
Two Movements and Eleven Reflections and on God’s Nearness and Care MOVEMENT 1 Before we ask what God is doing in our lives, Scripture invites us to notice where God already is. Long before understanding forms, before clarity arrives, before answers take shape, God is present. Psalm one hundred thirty nine does not begin with …
Lauren is my oldest granddaughter—23 years old and already a trailblazer in our family. She’ll is the first of our ten grandchildren to earn a master’s degree. And she didn’t just get through her undergraduate program—she did it in 3.5 years, right in the thick of the post-COVID chaos. That alone speaks volumes about her …
The Joy of Seeing Life Through Creative Phrases Six Reflection Collection 2025 Edition Table of Contents Author’s Note Reflection One: Awareness of Grace Reflection Two: The Love Child of an Idealist and a Pragmatist Reflection Three: When Formation Meets Faithfulness Reflection Four When Vision Meets the Ordinary Reflection Five: A Conceptual and Biblical Lineage of …
I have come to understand how Liessa and I communicate and why it works. She speaks in soundbites. I speak in hyperbole. She gives you the headline. I give you the entire front page, the editorials, entertainment, and travel sections. Somehow, this pairing has worked for decades. Liessa delivers clarity in short form. She trims …
Reflections on Trust, Participation, and the Life God Shares With Us Table of Contents Preface Reflection One: The Pause That Receives the Promise Reflection Two: Revelation That Moves Inward Reflection Three: Covenantal Depth and Willing Participation Reflection Four: God Is the Director Reflection Five: Life Is Not a Performance Reflection Six: A Moment to Pause …