Author Archives: Don Follis

1.  The Holy Spirit is God.  In the Apostles’ Creed I pray: “I believe in the Holy Spirit.”2.  The Holy Spirit is God inside of me, and you, causing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control to ripen in our lives.3.  The Holy Spirit will never forsake us.4.  WeContinueContinue reading “Stay at your post standing in the strength of His might!”

In the last year Jennifer and I have hosted 3 marriage retreats for pastors and church leaders, Lastweekend was our 3rd one. Almost 30 pastor and church leader couples have taken advantage of these retreats we call “Exploring an Emotionally Healthy Marriage.” Following the retreat I was thinking how important getting away has been overContinueContinue reading “Becoming close to your spouse & to your friends DEFINITELY is worth all the hard work!”

In this incredibly vivid book — Every Last Tie — David Kaczynski tells the story of the Unabomber (Ted Kaczynski, David’s older brother) and his family.  It’s a gripping tale of a younger brother’s love for his older brother, and how this younger brother came to to see not only his severe mental illness butContinueContinue reading “A brilliant, troubled brother”

Today’s column for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette is a look back at my early days of learning that I was good at both listening to people and empathizing with them — skills that serve me well to this day.  Read on …—–Don Follis April 10, 2016 column: “Praying teaches us that life is as more aboutContinueContinue reading “Learning to “listen” to nonverbal indicators started when I was just a young teen-ager”

Ironically, after seeing Eye in the Sky last night, with an excellent performance by Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell, I read this morning in the New York Times, that an American drone strike in Somalia last Thursday is believed to have killed a key leader of the Shabab militant group.  Helen Mirren as Colonel Katherine Powell in EYE OFContinueContinue reading “Deciding how to use your power to make a decision…”

On this Resurrection Sunday, I wrote a sad but redemptive column for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette.  I wrote it because of the Resurrection of Jesus — to show that even when life is bad there is ultimately hope.  Were it not for my belief in the Resurrection, the singular, momentous event in in all of humanContinueContinue reading “Easter’s message is clear: All people are deeply loved and valued!”

Good FridayBy Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) AM I a stone and not a sheep  That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy Cross,  To number drop by drop Thy Blood’s slow loss,And yet not weep? Not so those women loved          Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;  Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;Not so the thief was moved; Not so the SunContinueContinue reading “Who of us can ever fully understand the enormity of Good Friday?”

Martin Luther King, Jr.One must learn to make the transition from “let this cup pass from me” to “nevertheless, not will but thy will be done.”  And God grant that as you face life with all of its decisions — as you face the bitter cup which you will inevitably face from day to dayContinueContinue reading “Deciding to do God’s will … Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane”