Blog
I once read there are four phases of development in a Church movement – Man, Movement, Monument, and Mausoleum. A group of followers will initially be formed and ignited by a person of faith. That original faith will gain momentum and become a movement. After a season...
Jan and I had just repented and reconciled after having one of those marriage “moments.” All was made right after we humbled our hearts over a small and foolish issue. Joy returned to our relationship along with a feeling of refreshment that only repentance can bring....
The vocabulary of the world is not the language of the Spirit. When followers of Jesus use over-simplified definitions to define other believers, we align ourselves with the spirit of the world and lose the distinction of our union in Christ. Labels like “Christian...
When I traveled to Russia, I came home with gifts for my family. On Arbat Street in Moscow, I purchased a matryoshka doll, also known as a nesting or stacking doll. These dolls are cylindrical wooden containers with the picture of a person painted on their surface....
When I was a little boy, I would awaken each Christmas morning and for just a moment, not realize it was Christmas. In that pause, I thought it was just another day until my young mind kicked into gear. When the realization - THIS IS CHRISTMAS MORNING! - finally hit...
When Jan and I pastored our first church in Kalispell, Montana, we experienced a lot of firsts. We had our first Sunday as pastors of a new church with only one visitor attending. Our first real Rocky Mountain winter was a new experience, and so was the view from our...
The oil crisis of the early 1970’s and the resulting gas shortage was not a fun time in the United States. Long lines at gas stations appeared, and rationing had become part of our daily life. The speed limit on the freeways was reduced to 55 mph to...
God is about to bring understanding to the contrasting, and sometimes confusing seasons of your life. One season does not fully define you. The total must be seen in order for each of the parts to be understood. On my first visit to Madrid, Spain, I was invited...
If you receive a kind response from someone, it does not mean they agree with you. Kindness does not require agreement. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit that guides the interaction between people who may have very different opinions on a particular subject....
It has been almost 40 years since I wore a police uniform. The 9 years I worked as a cop brought me in contact with the most heart-wrenching of situations. One night, I got a call to conduct a welfare check. A landlord became concerned at the non-stop crying of a...
What makes the approach of a New Year so challenging for many of us is not the newness or unfamiliarity that awaits us in the coming year, it is the goodbyes we had to say in the previous year that became painful weights to our soul. These goodbyes are like emotional...
There is a gruesome parasite called Cymothoa Exigua. It is a louse parasite that enters a fish through its gills. Once inside, it severs the blood vessels to the tongue of the host fish, causing its tongue to die and eventually fall off. After consuming the dead...
A few weeks ago someone on Facebook posted something that was insightful, yet troubling because it was painfully true. I impulsively went to hit the "like" button but remembered this person rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the content of his life or the way he...
When I was a street cop, I wore a bulletproof vest, also known as body armor. My vest was made by a company called Second Chance. It had two panels. One panel covered my chest and the other panel covered my back. I never hit the streets in uniform without wearing my...
Albania was one of the most isolated and inaccessible nations in Eastern Europe during the years of Communist oppression. When the borders finally opened an outside world stepped across its border to discover a culture trapped in time. On my first visit to Albania, a...