Author Archives: Don Follis

This line from the Lord’s prayer usually causes me to take in a deep breath and then slowly exhale …”Your kingdom come; your will be done … on earth as in heaven.”I cannot pray this prayer without thinking of this line in the long version of the famous Serenity prayer:”Trusting that you will make allContinueContinue reading “Surrendering to God’s will is not giving up …”

One of my heroes of the faith was John Stott, especially when I was a young man.  Here’s my Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette column from yesterday (1/18/2015) on how, in part because of how John Stott did it, I try to model my early morning time with God.

Two of my favorite devotional writers are John and Win Stanford from Ames, IA.  John is a retired physics professor at Iowa State and he and Win write thoughtful, short essays 5 times each week.  They currently are taking the prayers of 20th century Scottish theologian John Ballie and putting them into their own words…ContinueContinue reading “A prayer of contrition…”

In my first Champaign-Urbana New-Gazette column for the new year, I talk about the importance of listening.  I have to work at it every day…

I agree with prolific blogger Rachel Held Evans that the best insight for the year comes from blogger Heather Kopp, writer of the outstanding Sober Mercies — how love caught up with a Christian drunk.  Kopp’s insight:  People bond more deeply over shared brokenness than they do over shared belief. Kopp explains her thoughts like this…WhenContinueContinue reading “Bonding over shared brokenness in 2015”

In today’s Christmas column for the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette, I tell a story from my boyhood that recalls how I first starting thinking about forgiveness in early December during the year when I was 9 years old… 

Have you considered spending more time comparing yourself to others? It’s a great discipline and one I highly recommend.  You’ll find it especially helpful this time of the year as you frantically finish up your Christmas shopping and baking.  Now don’t be surprised if you find yourself coming up short.  No worries because that willContinueContinue reading “How to Lose your joy in less than 30 seconds … guaranteed or your money back!”

We must all finally admit, there is a tremendous amount of mystery and wonder in God becoming man.  In the end, the human mind accepts the incarnation by faith, even as we ponder its mystery, its paradox.  The truth remains:The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadowContinueContinue reading “Oh the mystery: Fully God; fully man; completely glorious…”