The terrorist attack in Mumbai last month hit home for me. I saw the breaking news on CNN.com and immediately called my father. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins that live in Mumbai within walking distance of the Taj and Oberoi hotels. In fact, I’ve been to both hotels on numerous occasions. Thankfully, everyone I know was okay. But the shock, anger, and grief for the Indian people has not yet faded in the aftermath of their own 9/11. As more is learned about how the attack unfolded, where the terrorists came from, and the apparently inept intelligence and response by the Indian government, we can lose sight of the human stories within this tragedy.

Philip Yancey, one of the church’s most gifted writers, was in India during the…

Phil Vischer is a member of my church and a friend. Back in 1990 he created VeggieTales and Big Idea Productions. The compelling story behind the rise and demise of Phil’s veggie empire it recounted in his book, Me, Myself, and Bob. In his post-Big Idea years, Phil has been quietly working with a small team, including another good friend who is also responsible for creating my blog–Tim Johnson, on a new project for kids.

Phil created Jellyfish Labs to be his creative outlet, and a few weeks ago they launched the beta version of a new online network for children called Jelly Telly. The site features games and TV shows for kids that, like VeggieTales, contain redemptive spiritual lessons. But Phil’s new project differs from VeggieTales in a number of…

A few weeks before Halloween my dad took Zoe and Isaac to Disney on Ice. The show featured Pixar’s The Incredibles. The kids came home excited about the idea of being superheroes for Halloween. Then it occurred to them that Zoe looks like Violet, Isaac looks like Dash, and little Lucy could be a stand-in for Jack-Jack. That settled it. They insisted that the entire family dress up as The Incredibles for Halloween.

A few red t-shirts, some printable iron-on paper, and masks were all it took. After Amanda posted our photos on Facebook, a friend from church, Joyce Kerns, took the photo and changed the logos on our shirts from “i” to “j” and added “The Jethanibles” graphic.

Thanks to her design magic, Halloween 2008 will be remembered in…

When my father first came from India to the United States in 1970, he began his new life by sailing from Europe to New York aboard the SS France. In a strange twist, the legendary liner is now ending her life on a beach in India where shipbreakers are dismantling her hull. I only saw the ship in person once as a kid while on vacation (she was anchored a distance off shore), but I remember vintage photos of my father onboard during his crossing wearing thick black framed glasses, his hair caught in the sea breeze. (Photos of my father with hair are rare, so I tend to remember them.)

Many ship enthusiasts fought hard to preserve the vessel as a hotel or museum. It may seem strange,…

Reporting from the SHIFT 08 student ministries conference at Willow CreekIf there is one thing that everyone in youth ministry seems to be talking about it’s how to keep students following Christ after high school. That’s been a hot topic here at Shift, and this morning Kara Powell addressed the problem head on. As the executive director of the Center for Youth and Family Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California, Powell knows the sobering statistics. Her data reveals that 50% of high school students who had been deeply involved in a church’s youth ministry will not be serving God 18 months after graduation. And that’s not counting the many other high school students who are only going to church because their parents are forcing them. She…