Learning
Growth
Unity
Battle of the Cs
William D. Hoard is a guy most have never heard of. Even if you are a die-hard Packer fan, he is probably unknown to you. William, born in 1836, was a civil war veteran from Wisconsin and later an energetic advocate for the dairy industry in his state. He was elected Wisconsin governor and carried the legacy of the "Father of Wisconsin Dairy Farms." A true cheese head.
What If We Risked Delight?
My heart is saddened by recent world events. And not just bombs and killing and war, but also ongoing poverty and deep hunger, injustices, the selling of humans into slavery, and homelessness right in our backyard.
Beauty In Chaos
For the last several weeks, BibleProject has been exploring the concept of chaos in the Bible. Chaos, also known as disorder, confusion and unpredictability, is represented in Scripture by several things, like the ocean, the wilderness, wild animals, and even dragons! Meditating on chaos, my imagination goes wild.
Who’s Your Shepherd
One of the most recognized and recited passages of the Bible is Psalm 23. Most can quote its opening by heart and easily lean into David’s cadence and imagery. Today, let’s take another stroll through its verses, this time in the New Living Translation.
Autumn Leaves
It is Autumn here in Central Oregon. The ornamental trees around our house are in varying shades of pale green, yellow, and orange. In the next several weeks their colors will intensify. Some leaves will drop, some will be tugged away by the wind and rain, but most of them will stay until they are in their full color.
I’ll Pray for You
So many times when someone crosses my path, either in person or mentally, I sense a nudge to pray for them. A natural response to a need says, “I’ll pray for you.” But what do I say to God? What words? What requests? What tone of voice?
What’s the Big Deal About Our Words?
On a recent 7,800-mile road trip to Alaska that involved a horde of driving hours, Dan and I engaged in several conversations.
We discussed specific chapters of a book I was reading at the time.
Saying Goodbye
A good woman recently died. I met Martha in church when we moved to Bend in 1987. I saw her as an older woman then, even though she hadn’t yet seen 60. (How foolish young eyes can be...)
Apollos: Mighty in the Scriptures
One of my favorite New Testament characters is the itinerant preacher Apollos. He bursts on the scene in Acts 18:24-28 and is mentioned again in I Corinthians and Titus 3. I like his combination of biblical knowledge and passionate delivery that God uses to change the lives of his hearers. Apollos is a role model for me.
Room 728
Following our bike ride along the Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD, Claudia and I said goodbye to our riding partners and drove a rental car down to see some of her family in the Shenandoah valley outside of Roanoke, VA. Visiting her siblings and their families wraps us up in a warm hug of love (along with plates-full of great southern comfort food).
Expectations
In some circles it is said, “Expectations are pre-resentments.” I expect you to behave in a particular manner and when you do not conform to my expectation, I resent it. It is all within my own control–planning the outcome for something over which I have no control. This is a game I cannot win most times. I try to be careful not to play it, but sometimes I slip.
Five Objects of Wonder, Part 3
All things are meant to reveal God’s glory, as it says in Romans 11:36:
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
Friends
I’m writing this at 37,000’ on my way to Pittsburgh with Claudia and a couple of dear friends, Dan and Marlys. We are off on a five day biking adventure on the Great Allegheny Passage. Dan and Marlys are easy to travel with and we count them as true friends.
Can There Be Too Much of a Good Thing?
In our travels through the Great North, we noticed trees with multiple burls. A burl is a large, rounded swelling, and the experts’ best explanation is that they may develop because of insects, bacteria, or freeze damage.
Is Christianity Impossible?
I came across a new book this week that I’ll order in due time. It’s by Kevin DeYoung and the title is worth the price of admission. Impossible Christianity: Why following Jesus does not mean you have to change the world, be an expert in everything, accept spiritual failure, and feel miserable pretty much all the time. That’s a mouthful and quite a promise.
Feeling Squeezed?
Look around at the various squeeze points on your thinking and living. Our challenge is to stay current with the world in which we live, at the same time hold fast to the truths that transcend trends.
The Super Power of Consistency
Consistency is one of the golden keys to success. It is a super power, and my friend, Al Hulbert, has it. On Tuesday morning I know I will see his name in my email inbox with a fresh installment of his coveted pearls of wisdom. I am so habituated to Al’s weekly email that I say to myself “oh, it is Tuesday” when I see an email from him.
Living Prayerfully
A book Claudia picked up on Kindle a while ago has elbowed its way into my morning reading times. Titled, A Year of Living Prayerfully: How a Curious Traveler Met the Pope, Walked on Coals, Danced with Rabbis, and Revived His Prayer Life, by Jared Brock. Written in a semi-comedic way, this Canadian and his wife spent a year meeting with a very, very wide variety of folks, listening and asking questions about prayer in their experience.
Why You Should Tell Your Story
One of the things I enjoyed about our road trip through Alaska and Canada was meeting a variety of people. In Skagway, we struck up a conversation with a Native Alaskan in his 70s who had volunteered with Red Cross for 30+ years…
Look Again at Jesus
Every church has its lane. And each one thinks they are right, and to some degree we all get stuff wrong. Think about different kinds of churches...
From high church with their smells and bells
To the sawdust trails of revivalists
Liturgical churches following a calendar or free ones ignoring them
Some so very conservative they squeak, all the way to plenty liberal enough to ooze
and like Baskin-Robbins, so many many more flavors