I'll never forget the day I met President Ronald Reagan. Well, I didn’t really meet him. Years ago, when I was in graduate school in Washington, DC, I used to park my car at the nearby Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. One night, as I was walking to my car, I saw President Reagan. He must have been heading for a concert there. There he was, only fifteen feet away from me. Our eyes connected, and he smiled, winked, and waved to me. Stunned, I waved back. Then, just a few seconds later, he was escorted into an elevator and out of sight. More »

Imagine yourself alone in a friend’s country guesthouse in the woods far away from any city or town. Your friend is due to arrive in a few hours, and he has left a key for you under the front mat. So you let yourself in and begin exploring the house. More »

The 2006 movie "Amazing Grace" tells the story of William Wilberforce (1759-1833) and his efforts at abolishing slavery in England. As depicted in the film, Wilberforce was a worldly man who enjoyed gambling and drinking until he had a conversion experience at twenty-six years old. That experience of the Lord set him on a new path that eventually led him to become a political activist determined to build the kingdom of God. More »

From August 2002 to June 2003, I lived and walked among the faceless people of the streets. I say “faceless” because when you are homeless, the rest of the world does its very best to look past you. More »

One day I had the chance to spend some time with my dad before heading off to an event in Minnesota. We had coffee and some lunch together, bundled up against the cold weather, and visited a few bookstores, just enjoying one another’s company. He is always trying to give me his sweaters and gloves, and often if I attempt to pay for food or even a whimsical purchase, he beats me to it, insisting that I put my money away for another time. More »