Why You Don’t Have it All Together and What You Can Do About it
I like to think I have it all together. There are times, though, where I’m completely fractured and anything but. That may be why I am fascinated by stories that have highly flawed people in them. It keeps me grounded and mindful that I too am highly flawed. It’s more...
God the Maker and Craftsman, Promises More than Cheap Crap
“Step right up and win some cheap crap,” so says a paraphrase from the Steve Martin played Navin Johnson in one of my favorite movies, The Jerk. I’ll circle back to this magnificent scene before the end of this post, I promise. For now, as we consider God the maker,...
Our Messed Up World and That Time Jesus Came to an Anxious, Waiting World
Lost in the demands to “keep Christ in Christmas” and the requests to “remember the reason for the season” is a broader purpose: hope for a messed up world. You see, the Old Testament ends with a prophesy through Malachi. He was one of several prophets who tried...
The Torments of Hell and Can I Really Feel Your Personal Pain?
It’s unnatural to really feel the personal pain of someone else. You can sympathize, but really feeling the suffrage of another isn’t something we intuitively do. And why does it matter anyway? Well, for starters, it’s a way we can keep our own personal pain in...
Jesus Sightings Show a Watching World He is Present Here
“Be on the lookout for Jesus sightings.” That was the peculiar charge delivered to a group of mostly junior high kids embarking on international mission work. I was among them as a college-aged youth leader, though I felt quite inadequate for the role. I was certain I...
A Biblically Balanced Life – 7 Posts for Perspective and Wisdom
Gaining and having a balanced life is not an impossible goal. Of course, it’s not easy. It requires a lot of intentional focus and Biblical wisdom. Continuing in our Year of Listening up, here’s 7 resources. They’ll show us how to focus, what it takes, and...
Hope and Light for Unbelief in the Midst of a Darkened World
Sometimes trust comes down to belief and unbelief. In chapter twelve in the book of John, we get a pretty powerful collection of thoughts that serve almost as a final notice to skeptics. The statement weaves together many thoughts and themes from the whole book, the...
Decoration Day – Anticipating Peace in a Poem from Frank Carleton Nelson
Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day, in the United States, is a day for remembering. It’s about recognizing those who gave everything defending, protecting and guarding our country. Today, I am sharing a poem from Frank Carleton Nelson. Nelson was a...
7 Posts About Bringing Change by Defying Status Quo
I used to roll my eyes when bringing change was suggested. No matter where it was, I held hard to an “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mentality. Frankly, i was comfortable with status quo and bringing change meant more work, adapting and was potentially a brig threat...
7 Posts About Serving Others Amongst the Crowds
When serving others, there are several paths we can take. There’s a lot of advice and many forms of motivation. If we’re going to succeed, we must develop individuals and our communities. It means seeing like Jesus, developing people and developing our communities....