Thoughts, devotions, and more from Jeffrey K. Ross, author of "Next Step Devotions"
If I have learned anything so far on this trip to China, it is that humans are more alike than different regardless of nationality. Sure, externals can be radically different. I don't look like any native Chinese I've seen. Still, there are so many experiences that are the same across cultures that it is a …
Continue reading Leap Year Lesson #112: We Are More Alike Than Different
I went to see the movie The Three Stooges Sunday with my son and a friend. Our wives weren't interested - it must be a guy thing - so we planned a guy's afternoon out. For around 90 minutes I was transported back 40+ years when I loved to come home from school and watch the …
Continue reading Leap Year Lesson #106: To Know People Now, Learn About Their Past
As I reflect on this past week spent in a quiet, personal retreat at The Abbey of Gethsemani, one recurring thought is that you must occasionally go off the beaten path in order to discover real treasure. Most of my friends, family and colleagues think that going to a monastery for any length of time …
Continue reading Leap Year Lesson #90: The Best Treasures Are Found Off the Beaten Path
On the back wall of the Visitor’s Center at The Abbey of Gethsemani is a plaque with some wonderfully thought-provoking words written by G. K. Chesterton in Orthodoxy. During this beautiful springtime week in this quiet place of reflection, I was brought to tears by the thought expressed. Chesterton wrote: Because children have abounding vitality, …
Continue reading Leap Year Lesson #87: There is Beauty in a Child’s “Do It Again”
I love to travel. For a number of years when I was self-employed, I was on the road about three weeks per month. That was perfectly fine with me. I enjoyed it. I got to see all kinds of places I would not have otherwise seen. My wife got to join me on occasion. I …
Continue reading Leap Year Lesson #75: There’s No Place Like Home
