JONATHAN C DOW
Finding Forky
Calling people "up" instead of "out"
Wanting to escape the relentless summer heat, my wife and I decided to set aside our normal Saturday chores to go to a local movie theater. Appreciating the clever story-telling of the previous three films, we decided to see Toy Story 4.
Though we enjoyed the movie, I left the theater with an unresolved heaviness that I had not . . .
A Word in Season
Encouragement for the Writer in You
It is hard to believe that this is my 100th blog. Wherever and however we have connected, know that my heart is full of gratitude for your willingness to read, to comment, and to share these writings over the last ten years.
Integral to this journey of encouragement has been my life verse: "The Sovereign Lord has given me . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#writing
...And You Sighed
A Note of Gratitude to Medical Teams
It may have been when you swiped your badge.
You wondered whether you had the strength for what the day would hold...
Perhaps it was just before you knocked on the holding room door.
You paused to clear your head from the intensity of the case you just finished...
Or maybe it was before you pulled the . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#relationships#workplace
Plenty of Times
An Unexpected Gem of Encouragement
I am grateful for apps on your phone that allow you to not only read Scripture but also to hear it spoken out loud. Recently while listening to the Book of Job, a verse captured my attention. After walking with Job through traumatic loss, Eliphaz offers an extraordinary gift of affirmation. “You yourself have done this plenty of . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#relationships
I Wanted You to Know
Watching, Seeing, and Encouraging
Posted in: #encouragingothers#relationships#workplace
Rehearsal
One of the activities I have enjoyed over the last 29 years is choir rehearsal. Week in and week out, I have been privileged to spend time with passionate people who not only are diligent to learn notes, rhythms, and mechanics of singing, but also are eager to discover attributes of God reflected in the text of the songs we sing.
. . .
Entry Points of Grace
"Hey, can you hold the door for Me?"
Not too long ago, my wife and I drove to a place to which we had never been. A sense of uneasiness crept in as unanticipated traffic slowly drained the surplus time before our scheduled appointment. The stress increased when our GPS unashamedly proclaimed, “you have arrived” when we clearly had not. Trying to maximize our . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#guidance#relationships