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When the weight we allow to cling closely leaves us blind, endangered, and in desperate need of a trim, we can trust the Shepherd Who holds the shears. Photo by  Georgi Kalaydzhiev  on  Unsplash Introduction to “The Weight of Wool”   I’ve been reading a lot about sheep lately. Not on purpose, per se. I didn’t set out to learn more about sheep and shepherds, but in God’s providence, I ended up here. It began by desiring to read a quick leisure book. A welcomed break from the academic literature I’ve been reading for college. I perused through my stack of thrifted books that are more conversational in nature (not to mention, smaller in size). I eventually narrowed the choices down to three, finally settling on the smallest one, titled, “A Shepherd looks at Psalm 23” by Phillip Keller. I settled into a cozy spot and began reading. The following week themes of sheep and shepherds kept popping up as I went about my days. Feeling inspired to journal about what I was ponder...

Ecclesiastes asks the question that the rest of the Bible answers– “What is the meaning of life?” Whether people realize it or not, they wrestle with the same things that the author addresses. Do wisdom, work, pleasures, wealth, or honor bring deep and lasting satisfaction? Can we find our purpose in something here on this earth? Man-made religions seek to give meaning to life. Many do so through the teaching that a higher power will reward them if they do good while on earth. People who do not believe in a higher power will have to create their own meaning and purpose as a purely atheistic belief will result in a worldview that everything is meaningless. There are also many who live in the in-between– they don’t adhere to a certain religion and at the same time aren’t sure if there is a God or if that God is knowable.   I think that whether they like to admit it or not, unbelievers have to wrestle with some thoughts that make them feel uncomfortable. They might feel guilt or ...

I recently finished a novel about a near-future American dystopian society. Although the book itself was not my favorite, the author’s chapter titles were unique and the title above particularly stood out to me. It resonated with me as a somewhat tongue-in-cheek summary of our journeys as exiles here on planet Earth. In a lot of ways our man-made plans for the future are probably doomed and in light of that we, as believers, have the opportunity to be perplexingly merry. This past Christmas, our family of six, who was spread out over three states, was able to be all together for about 24 hours. It wasn’t near enough time but we were thankful to be together. As we make plans to take a family vacation this summer, we have to set realistic expectations. With car trouble, work schedules, illness, and other unknown variables, what is the likelihood that our desire to be all together will be met? It’s probably doomed. If so, will I still find myself being merry? That is the promise of Psalm ...