Blog
I was in a conversation with the leader of a Christian community who said some of those under his care had become “fuzzy around the edges” concerning certain issues of faith. That fuzziness had diminished the clarity of the truth allowing undisciplined...
I am seeing an increase in the differences of opinion on non-essential issues within the Church. It is causing greater levels of division. I am beginning to think these differences of opinion are part of God’s plan because He gave each of us free will to choose a...
As I read through Song of Songs this morning, I came across a verse that sounded different from the beautiful love song that Solomon described between a man and woman in the covenant of marriage. The verse describes angelic hosts who are skilled in spiritual conflict,...
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...
I grew up in a construction family. My father built houses. Most of my summers were spent on the end of a shovel. My brother and I were human backhoes. Many times our father would say, “Give me a ditch three feet deep from here to the house. See you at lunch.” It was...
It has been two weeks since my dog died. Abby was an Australian Shepherd who lived as a member of our family for 15 wonderful years from puppyhood to her dying day. She was a good friend. For all 15 years of her life, Abby went in and out of her doggie door to...