My family recently moved into a new neighborhood, one with a lot of history. Many of the neighbors have lived on the block for over fifteen years so we were intimidated by the friendships that were already established before our time. We had big plans to introduce ourselves to each neighbor and maybe exchange numbers, but with the hustle and bustle of moving that was on the bottom of the to-do list. Yet, within days of moving, our neighbors had brought over wine, phone numbers and a warm...

Have you ever stayed at a vacation rental through a service like Airbnb or VRBO - Vacation Rentals By Owner? I have, and I've really enjoyed it! But have you ever considered what a whole town full of vacation rentals does to our sense of community? My friends at FaithStay, a new a trust platform connecting the world to Christian hospitality, asked me how my experience living in a town dominated by vacation rentals affects neighborhoods. How to Love Your Neighbor in a Sharing Economy Guest post...

Are you kidding me? Why should I be kind when the world is so cruel? Who will watch out for me if I'm always putting others first? What will I give my own family if I give everything away to others? It doesn't make sense. She knows how you feel. We don't even know her name, but we do know this: she was a single mom whose husband had died, leaving her to raise their son alone. Someone was supposed to be taking care of her, but there was no one left - her entire community was suffering the...