Wayfarer

The context of history doesn't change my present circumstances or current events, but it does change the way I frame my thoughts and understanding of my circumstances and current events. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 10. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In a few hours I will be muttering to myself, "Where did the day go?" A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 9. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

Along my life journey, I've observed that creation, life, and relationships are complex things. There are simple truths, but there are few simple answers. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 8. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

In the quiet this morning, I hear God's Spirit reminding me through the words of the Sage that all my tomorrows are simply "what ifs." There are really only two certainties. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 7. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast please feel free to Like and share.

Isn't it ironic that when I hear the name "Ebenezer Scrooge" my first thought is about what he was, not what he became? A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 6. The text version of this podcast can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . 

I confess that I was not great with money for much of my life. It was a lesson that ended up being a long, hard stretch for me on both the spiritual and physical levels. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 5. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com .

This Wayfarer Weekend podcast is a conversation with Andy Bales, CEO of Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles. Andy talks about the insurmountable and seemingly hopeless task of fighting poverty, homelessness, and addiction on Skid Row. He shares stories of the walking miracles he witnesses and works with daily.

A few weeks ago I happened upon one of those heart-warming stories that almost sounds too good to be true. I dug into the story. This is what I learned. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 4. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share.

Along my life journey, I've observed something ironic. We entertain ourselves ceaselessly with stories in which death is the main ingredient, yet most of us want to pull a Houdini when it comes to this inescapable fact. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 3. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast please Like and share.

After all the seeking, pursuing, toiling, mulling, regrets, frustration, and investigation, the chapter ends with a simple, humble observation from the Sage. A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 2. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share.

When I was young I kept getting stuck thinking that the author of Ecclesiastes was waxing existential pessimism. The further I've gotten on this road of Life, however, the more I've come to understand that the sage is inviting me to consider what is valuable . A chapter-a-day podcast from Ecclesiastes 1. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might e...

Today's chapter is the end of Mark's biography of Jesus, and it has its own back story. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 16. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share!

On this Wayfarer Weekend podcast: A great conversation with my friend Ron L. Deal (seriously, we've known each other since elementary school) who has dedicated his career to helping couples and families navigate the relational mine-fields and challenges of second marriages and blended families. Ron is a popular author (his ninth book is on the way) and speaker. Having my own journey in a second ma...

Measuring "success" is such a spiritual, emotional, and mental trap. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 15. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share.

Another day has dawned, and so my story isn't over either. I take hope in that this morning. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 14. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might appreciate this podcast, please feel free to Like and share.

I'm reminded this morning, that every good story ends up in dark places. There's always darkness before the dawn. Without catastrophe there's no eucatastrophe. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 13. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share.

It's easy for me to overlook it, but the crowd has been a constant player in Jesus' story. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 12. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy today's podcast, please feel free to Like and share.

It's the fruit that produces the by-products, never the other way around. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 11. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might be encouraged by this podcast, please feel free to Like and share.

Much of my life has been spent hurrying. It's taught me there are no shortcuts on the spiritual journey. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 10. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please feel free to Like and share.

Like every other human being, my life journey has been dotted with observing and experiencing the "ins" and "outs" of social groups. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 9. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might like this podcast please Like and share.

"Inflection Point" has become a buzzword in business during my career. And, it's often misunderstood. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 8. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please Like and share!

The more I read the story, and read Jesus' teachings, the more I see the stark contrast between the heart-principles of the Kingdom of God and the religious rule-keeping of the institutions of this world. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 7. Text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might like this podcast, feel free to Like and share!

As I've trekked my way through the Great Story again and again over the past forty years, I've learned that sometimes the lesson is not in microscopically mining the minutia of the text, but in stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 6. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com. If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please f...

Along the journey, I've perpetually spent time in the quiet with God contemplating three questions. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 5. The text version may be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please feel free to "Like" and share!

Spring brings my perennial desire to plant something and make it grow. Confession: I'm really bad at this. A chapter-a-day podcast from Mark 4. The text version can be found and shared at tomvanderwell.com . If you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please "Like" and share!