Beyond the Bars

This week I found myself in a place that most people spend their lives hoping never to enter: a women’s prison. A small group of us had been invited there to spend an hour with about fifty inmates. We sang a few songs, offered words of encouragement, prayed together, and, perhaps most importantly, simply spent […]

I deliver a presentation entitled Navigating the Storms of Life. It has been one of my most requested presentations over the years, and I’ve had the privilege of sharing it with audiences in several countries. The “storms” I discuss in that presentation are, of course, metaphorical. They include things like loneliness, financial setbacks, conflict, disappointment, […]

I have been fortunate to count DB among my friends for nearly forty years. Three years my senior and trained in both the arts and the sciences, she is a brilliant communicator—smart, opinionated, deeply principled, and an endlessly engaging conversationalist. We see the world very differently, which is one of the reasons our friendship has […]

I have something encouraging to say to any who strive for something but fail. Let me start by saying that, due to a recent birthday, I am not a young man anymore. But I still exercise with some regularity. It’s been a long time since I was able to run 1 mile in 8 minutes […]

At last we arrive at the deepest and most challenging of all inquiries: Why. “Why” questions pursue meaning and purpose. They ask not merely what is happening or how something can be done, but why it should matter at all. Why does this effort deserve our attention? Why do certain values guide our decisions? Why […]

Every action unfolds within a context. Circumstances have location, environment, and setting. Recognizing this leads us to the next form of inquiry: Where. “Where” questions examine context and placement. They ask us to consider the environments in which decisions occur and the settings in which outcomes will emerge. Where should effort be directed? Where does […]

Once we understand what is happening, when action might be appropriate, and who is involved, the practical mind inevitably asks another question: How. “How” questions concern method. They seek pathways from intention to result. Human beings are natural problem-solvers. Faced with a challenge, we instinctively begin searching for procedures, strategies, and tools. We want to […]

After clarifying what is happening and considering when action may be appropriate, attention turns naturally toward another dimension of inquiry: Who. “Who” questions direct our awareness toward agency and responsibility. They ask us to consider the individuals—ourselves included—whose decisions, values, and actions shape events. In any complex situation, circumstances matter. Timing matters as well. But […]

Once we have asked “What,” another question inevitably follows: When. If “What” questions clarify reality, “When” questions bring awareness to timing. They ask us to consider sequence, readiness, and the unfolding nature of events. In many ways, they are questions about the rhythm of life itself. We live in a culture that prizes urgency. Action […]

Before any meaningful understanding begins, a question must be asked. Not merely any question, but the right one. Human life unfolds in response to inquiry. What we notice, what we pursue, what we ultimately become is profoundly shaped by the questions that occupy our minds. A careless question can lead us into years of confusion. […]