Blog
I used to think those who sat down for an interview in front of a backdrop of books stacked high on a bookshelf were very smart and insightful. I also got the impression that someone who quoted obscure intellectual sources, or a person who had advanced educational...
I’ve had to check the condition of my heart while Jan and I walk through our town and see signs of support for political candidates. I realized my disdain at some of these lawn signs was a chance for me to mature in my faith. One of the most challenging things in this...
Yesterday, I heard sirens blaring from across town. When I hear a distant siren, I pray for God’s mercy to appear before the police or ambulance arrives. The sound of a siren has another effect on me. As a cop when I encountered a dangerous situation that required...
It’s time to change the language we use to describe our experience with God. It would be like a sommelier using the same rutted language to describe a fine wine to an experienced consumer with phrases found written on every other wine bottle label. An uncreative and...
Jan and I try to have an open and honest relationship. We are free to share anything with each other. That freedom did not come overnight. It was the result of years of hard relational work. When we first began this shared journey, our openness about confession...
I’ve had an aggressive and warlike kind of prayer on my mind for the last few days. This is the kind of prayer that that brings down spiritual strongholds and dark power structures like those described by Paul in Ephesians 6. Forty years ago, SWAT teams were still a...
Atop our kitchen counter, I saw fruit marking the end of one season and the beginning of something new. The peaches in the photo were the last in the final harvest from our favorite orchardist. We grew the grapes in our backyard. The peaches were harvested at the end...
In your transition, leave room for mystery and wonder. This is a spiritual endeavor, not a business plan. Religion is mankind’s attempt to codify God and have him all figured out. Man-made religion is devoid of the mystery and wonder that exists when we relate...
Have you ever noticed the image of celebrities when they are arrested for drugs or drunk driving, and their booking photograph is posted online for the world to see? They don’t look the same. In the pre-arrest publicity photos, they are well-coiffed and dressed in the...
Significant moments float upon life’s constant breeze wafting by our faces in silent disguise. They are suspended in their passing waiting to be recognized, to be captured, to be held, taken in by discerning hearts. Turn your...
Last week, I pulled into the parking lot of a local supermarket to do some grocery shopping. When I entered the parking lot, the song “What A Wonderful World” came on the radio. It was a very tasteful jazz rendition of Louis Armstrong’s classic song. I had a to-do...
Jan and I take communion every day. We pray for our family, friends, and our marriage. During communion, we remember God’s faithfulness in all things. We use a small thimble-sized brass goblet from Israel to serve the wine and matzo crackers for our bread. When we...
When the first jet struck the Twin Towers 18 years ago today, I stood stunned as I watched the attack unfold. After the second jet hit the second tower, something paid a visit to my life that had been virtually dormant for 24 years. When the attack took place, it had...
On this night 18 years ago, we all went to bed unaware of what would take place the next morning in New York. The only ones aware were the terrorists. We never know what tomorrow will bring. Tonight, pick up your phone or go to your keyboard and tell someone you love...
The sound of our voice can never be silenced if the sound we are making is truth spoken in love. When attempts to muzzle truth have taken place in human history, the truth those voices carried always seemed to get louder under restriction. The sound of truth has the...