Life is a gift. One which we can’t control. Our breath is not our own. It comes to us as a gift. Really all is a gift. We struggle and strain, we gather and build, grasping for our place in the world. Yet every good thing comes to us free of charge with no strings attached. Many of us …
Heroes I can relate to
We all need someone we can relate to. Our tendency is to craft heroes and idolize those of higher achievement than our own. We aspire to be like these men and women, believing that one day, with enough effort and moxie, we might become like them. This aspiration is true in all areas of life, including the world of faith. …
Low Expectations
How can anyone be in the right before God? Job 9:2 NABRE One of my many sins is setting high expectations for myself and others. This can work well for improving performance, but wreaks havoc in relationships. High expectations can lead to a constant disappointment of never measuring up. And though excellence may be achieved, the price paid may …
The God who serves (thoughts from the Emmaus Road)
In the Bible are many great stories of inspiration. One of my favorites is found at the end of the Gospel of Luke. In the previous two chapters, Jesus had been brutally tortured and murdered after being betrayed by one of his closest friends. The remaining disciples had fled and were now in hiding, wondering if they were next. Some …
Honesty – It’s still the best policy! (thoughts from the book of Job)
We could all use some encouragement at a time like this. I found some recently in the unlikely place of the pages of Job. I like the book which may sound a bit morbid since its pages are filled with suffering. Yet it’s not the suffering that draws me, it’s the honesty. The friends who gathered to mourn with Job …
The Divine Spark
One of the greatest art masterpieces in the world is the frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo painted each magnificent panel with a story from the book of Genesis with a focus on creation. In the center is the pinnacle of the painting and the crescendo of creation itself; God creating man. This familiar scene is known to many; …
A Simple Life
I’m uncertain of what lies ahead, and recent years have been a bit bumpy. Joy seems to flee a bit more readily. The person I am today doesn’t feel like the version found in my recent past. My daughter believes the change began during the building of our new home. My inclination is that it started earlier than that. The …
Reminders
Over this past year, I have once again come face to face with my humanity, its depravity and my need of a Savior. I guess I never forgot it completely. Yet one hazard of the Christian life is the tendency to measure performance and grade ourselves on how well we are living particularly in comparison with others. Due to our …
The Big Questions
Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us wrestle with the big questions of life. Such questions include… Why am I here? Is there a God? Does what I do matter? Does anything matter? We can endure endless days without thinking of them occupied by muchness and manyness. Yet the questions remain and we never know when …
Caught by Surprise
This has been one of the most difficult times in my life and it caught me by surprise. By all accounts, this should be an exciting and happy time as Carrie and I just built a beautiful custom home, one on which we have been working over the past two years. It has been a long but enjoyable journey, and …
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