Disappointment comes in many different flavors, and none of them taste good. Do you remember a time in your childhood when you had gone on and on for months about that certain present that you wanted for Christmas? You had built your hopes up so high; you were absolutely certain that you were getting that... Continue Reading →
Quality Assurance
For nearly 25 years I have worked in quality assurance. My days are comprised of dimensional checks, product testing and, of course, composing reports. I entered the world of quality after my time in youth ministry expired. It was devastating for me that I hadn't "cut the mustard" as a youth pastor, even though I... Continue Reading →
The Road
The road before me stretched out as far as my eyes could see. It was like standing on the shore of a vast ocean, unable to see the land on the other side. Even from a boat, miles out at sea, the far distant shore remains well beyond sight. Eventually, even the beginning of my... Continue Reading →
Word for the Weekend: Static
One of the definitions of Static is "lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in a way viewed as undesirable or uninteresting" (dictionary.com here and following). Weekends tend to be fantastic times for testing the validity of this definition. Newton's First Law of Motion states that a body at rest will tend to stay at... Continue Reading →
Yet I Persist
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,... Continue Reading →
Fishers of Men
"While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, 'Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed him" (Matthew 4:18-20... Continue Reading →
Lessons in the Snow: Humility and Obedience
Yesterday our fair city declared a snow emergency, with heavy snow from Sunday night until early this morning. We got nearly a foot of the cold, wet, white stuff. When I was a kid I loved the snow; I couldn't get enough of it. Now that I'm a "responsible adult" (my friends may be snickering... Continue Reading →
Mindful Monday: Armor Pt. 6
"...and take the helmet of salvation (Ephesians 6:17 ESV). Today we conclude the series on the full armor of God by addressing the Helmet of Salvation. I'm not entirely sure why Paul ordered his armor list the way he did. If it had been me I would probably have listed the Helmet of Salvation first,... Continue Reading →
Word for the Weekend: Hunger
I think that we all can agree on the simple definition of hunger: the feeling of weakness or discomfort caused by a lack of food/nutrition. But do we really know what it means? In the relative affluence of western society our working definition of hunger is dramatically different from that in third-world countries. We toss... Continue Reading →
Bear One Another’s Burdens Pt. 2
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2 ESV). Yesterday we looked at the sin and how we, as Christians, should respond when we see a brother or sister weighed down by the burden of sin (Galatians 6:1). Today we are going to look at other ways in which we... Continue Reading →
Skipping Stones 