Deus Misereatur

  A friend of mine who has a child on the Autism spectrum showed me this little 42-page workbook. This is what the child's counselor recommended, and I asked if I could borrow it. Kari Dunn Buron, an Autism Education Specialist and a founding member of the Minnesota Autism Project, has given parents, counselors and educators a nifty tool that can aid children on the spectrum in working through relationships and social contacts. Her goal in this book is "to use a simple 5 point scale to create some possible "guidelines" for thinking about context, and how that makes a difference" (v). It is the third book in a 4-part series called "The Incredible 5-Point Scale." The book is practical and immediately useable. It is packed full of real-life stories, with guidance on how to move toward a different result than the one experienced. There are also several worksheets that help kids to put pen-to-paper and start imagining new actions and directions. This book i...

[I sent this out to my congregation today in my weekly letter - 28 August 2024] Yesterday morning, as the sun was starting to rise, I was reading Joel. It’s only three chapters long, but the scene is fairly dismal. Plagues, pestilence, locusts, and other “covenant curses” God had promised in Leviticus 26 if his people were persistently unfaithful to him. That’s the sad part about Joel. All of these calamities are – in a sense – self-inflicted because God’s people have walked away from the Lord. And yet the Lord is beckoning his people to turn around: “ Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster ” (Joel 2:13). To rouse the people’s return, the Lord then calls on the priests, the ministers of God, to spend some concerted time in remorse and repentant prayer. This repentant prayer is what caught my attention yesterday. It’s Joel 2:17: Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the min...

When death comes crashing into a family, little ones are seriously impacted. They aren’t able to express all their feelings, nor know how to deal with the mixture of emotions they’re experiencing. It could be the death of a beloved pet, or the loss of a favorite auntie, or – heaven forbid – the passing of mom or dad. Oh, the uncertainty, grief, and confusion that may come! Darby Strickland, a Christian counselor and author, has given parents, grandparents, and guardians a resource to help them work with their little one through the emotions. “Something Sad Happened: Helping Children with Grief” is a 32-page children’s book that is part of New Growth Press’s “Comfort for Children in Hard Times” series. It is brightly and beautifully illustrated by Thaís Mesquita. The woodsy scene is populated by birds, a chipmunk, an owl, and a few other outdoor animals. The story gathers around Sunny, a young blue bird who has just lost a dear friend, Wren. Mama bird notices that Sunny is now not so ...

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. O God, our hearts are full of thankfulness because we have been richly endowed with your goodness: health, strength, hope, stamina, happiness, sustenance, homes and satisfaction. And even when in your good providence these are withheld from us, we have you, our greatest good and deepest joy! Thank you! Truly, the LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want! He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Give strength, aid, increasing love, durable commitment and unwavering godliness to fill and replenish your church here, as well as Korean First Presbyterian, Lake View Nazarene, Life by Faith Church, Life Community Church, and your church throughout the world. O great Shepherd of your people, where there are wolves in sheep’s clothing in your flock, expose and remove them that your people may be restored. Bring your people refreshment and ...