Blog
After our death, the life we chose to live will become a memory. Death leaves behind only memories. I was reminded of this by reading John L. Moore’s collection of memories from his previous writing, recounting those in his life, both family and friends, who left...
When culture's turmoil and people's sins surround us, they become a heavy burden on our lives. In those burdened times, the Lord will answer our prayers using anyone or anything to remove the burden. We need to be willing to look beyond our judgments of who and what...
When fear and terror are on the rise, people want honest answers on how to wisely live their lives. Our awareness and preparedness should never be allowed to displace our trust in Jesus as our Deliverer. However, He never wants us to become so naïve that we dismiss...
The Church is going through a transition. We are being prepared for the future through a process of simplification. Before that transition can take place on a larger scale, it must first happen in our personal lives. It is never enough to ask, or even demand that...
When I worked as a street cop, I wore a duty belt. On my duty belt, I carried a handgun, holster, extra ammunition, nightstick, pepper spray, handcuffs, and a radio. Today, even more gear is carried. An average police duty weighs anywhere between 15 to 25 pounds. You...
We are all guilty in some way of redefining God to fit our image of Him. This is not a new phenomenon. Each generation will face this challenge as the spirit of the age attempts to form doctrines and theologies that lessen the majesty and unchangeable nature of...
We toss about phrases like “standing on a threshold” or “on the verge” with ease. These are many times offered as hopeful declarations, not really knowing what they mean. To truly stand on a threshold or be on the verge of something significant will change the meaning...
There are times when we plan to make a change of direction in our lives that we can resemble a driver preparing to make a turn. First, we make a decision to initiate a turn. Then we announce our intentions by activating our turn signals, and finally, we slow our...
Our brain is a unique and wonderful creation. When high-stress events take place the region of the brain called the amygdala takes over. This is part of our thinking process where the fight or flight response is issued. The amygdala is the emotional center of our...
In 1973, during our first year of marriage, I bought a new Ford pickup. It was an F-150 XLT fully loaded. The price was $3,732.00. I went on Ford’s website this morning and did a build for a similar truck and the price is ten times what it was in 1973. The cost of...
As a young undercover cop working in an organized crime unit, I had an assumed name and a state-issued driver’s license. My cover was really good. Even if another law enforcement officer ran me through a national computer database it would not reveal that my ID was...
The phrase “follow the money” has become popular in our cultural conversations. The statement invites us to look deeper than the surface issues to discover the recipient of money who would gain advantage from its added resource. The problem occurs when we stop at the...
For the last few months, a crippled doe has found a place of rest in our front yard. She was born with a severely deformed leg and has been limping about three-legged all of her short life. The other deer is her brother, a young spike-horned buck who always stays by...
I love wide-open spaces. An expanse of sagebrush, quaking aspen draws, and old, weathered cabins are a thing of beauty to me. Traveling along a dirt road far off the asphalt beaten path and seeing these old structures speaks to me. I can imagine a stagecoach pulling...
In many ways, the nine years I spent as a cop before becoming a pastor prepared me for the ministry. Being a cop gave me an understanding of life's gritty reality. It also helped me understand how people would sometimes respond to fear. Life has a way of becoming a...