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. …
A Million Little Things
I love a good ending. In reviewing the accounts of the Gospel writers, the endings recorded are all powerful and unique. Yet it is John’s ending that is my favorite. John penned “There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to …
Our Tiny Enterprise
“Shine down, shine down on our tiny enterprise.” – from Healing Waters, by Mister Mister It is helpful to acknowledge that ours is a tiny enterprise. If we center our worlds around us, we lose perspective and become consumed with ourselves; our family, our finances, our hobbies, our nation, and wherever else our interests may lie. The truth is …
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 …
Let us pray
I believe we could all agree that if you are counted among those who believe in prayer, now would be a good time to pray. Today is as tumultuous as any time that I can remember. I was born in the early 60’s and though that was the decade that witnessed the march from Selma to Montgomery, the Kennedy and …
“ALL YOU CAN WRITE IS WHAT YOU SEE” – Woody Guthrie
The longer I live the more I realize how little I know about so many things. This includes things for which I have studied or worked very hard for and things which hold great interest for me. For instance, I graduated at the top of my class in college with an accounting degree. I also am a CPA with …
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; …
Beauty
Beauty has a way of capturing the heart like nothing else. In Oklahoma, we are blessed with beautiful sunsets. I’m not sure of the conditions that make it so; some say it’s the dust. Yet I’ve never been anywhere else where such beautiful hues of pink, orange, yellow and red fill the late afternoon sky as day gives way to …