Learning
Growth
Unity
What a Mess
I sit here watching believers bickering and grumbling about non-believers acting like non-believers. (And while bickering, believers begin to act like nonbelievers!). So, I'm going to share my view of interacting with sinners—otherwise known as sharing the gospel.
Truncated Domes and the Church
A few years ago, the city of Bend underwent a massive project which included replacing sidewalk curb ramps with sidewalk curb ramps. The arguably wasteful project was the outcome of a settlement between the US Dept. of Justice and the city of Bend in 2004, which resulted from a 2001 lawsuit introduced by four disabled Bend residents, claiming our city had failed to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Three Quick Takeaways from John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way
Recently, a group of us finished reading John Mark Comer’s Practicing the Way. Comer was a pastor in Portland and now lives in California. He’s a prolific author and this book is his latest. It reminds me of the writings of Dallas Willard and Richard Foster with its emphasis on spiritual disciplines.
An Evening in Chitral with God
In the far Northwestern corner of Pakistan is the picturesque valley of Chitral, bordered on the north by the Hindu Cush mountains, and by Afghanistan on the west. During our years in Pakistan, we made several trips to Chitral and developed some close friendships among the Kalash tribes. The following account is the result of one of those visits.
Coming Alongside
My daughter Summer was with us as her dad was dying of cancer in the hospital bed in our living room. Her cell phone chirped. It was the international adoption agency. “We have a referral for three brothers who would do well in a family with children. Are you interested?”
Résumé Virtues vs. Eulogy Virtues
David Brooks, NY Times columnist and author, wrote an opinion piece on April 11, 2015, entitled, “The Moral Bucket List”. In it, he contrasts those virtues we would put on a resume like education and work experience versus what people would say about us at our funeral.
How to Listen to a Sermon
Biblical Christians value biblical preaching. And rightly so. Beginning with OT precedent (e.g. Ezra in Nehemiah 8:5-9), Jesus (Mark 1:39, Luke 24:27), Peter and Paul in Acts (2:14-41 and 13:13-41 respectively) and an exhortation to young pastor Timothy (II Tim.4:2), preaching the Bible figures prominently if not preeminently in Christian worship.
Words – Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live Without Them
I am exploring the art of writing. I imagine myself sequestered in a shed overlooking a wild river and gushing thousands of words into my laptop crafting essays, memoirs, and journals. Writing is difficult and takes discipline and tenacity.
Memories of Pakistan
Looking back at our years in Pakistan, I am filled with memories—mostly pleasant memories. Pakistan is a friendly place, a relaxed place. Oh, yes, it may be hot, dusty, and lack many conveniences that we are so used to here. But the people are very friendly and the atmosphere is peaceful...
Most of the time.
When Your Friends Show Up
The world is much smaller than I thought. I recently met new members of my family I hadn’t known previously—brothers and sisters in Latvia, this tiny country that was once part of the Soviet Union and has only been independent since 1991.
On a beautiful 740-acre piece of rolling hills with patches of forest, stands a children’s camp and a working sheep ranch. Eagle’s Wings.
A Deep Dive into Disabilities
To begin a deep dive into a conversation about disabilities, we should start with a definition of terms. What do we mean when we say “disability?”
Let’s start with a medical definition…
When Educators Feel Appreciated
I had several stand-out high school teachers, but a seventh-grade teacher comes to mind when I think about undercover influence. Mrs. Wells. She invited me to join her after school one day a week with a handful of other seventh graders.
Jephthah: OT Bad Boy or Hero of the Faith? Or Both? Part 2
This article continues from a previous article, introducing Jephthah from Hebrews 11 and Judges 10-11. Was he truly a “hero of the faith?” Read on and learn more.
A Tribute to Dad
In 1969 I married Mark and became Andy’s daughter-in-law. Dad was a man of God, who exemplified the Word. I learned much from him.
Jephthah: OT Bad Boy or Hero of the Faith? Or Both? Part 1
As some of you might already know, a few of us here at Foundry are on a preaching team for a little church in Camp Sherman, OR called Chapel in the Pines. Normally, we preach one off sermons. But one of the church elders asked if we would string together a sermon series. One of our team members proposed walking through the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11.
Change: How to Keep Calm and Carry On
Not all people are eager for change. It takes us away from the comfortable, the familiar. It sometimes costs, and sometimes hurt, and has the potential to unsettle us a bit. Or a great deal.
Can You Help Me with Something?
For many of us, asking for help is a big no-no, a sign of weakness. Some of us are wired more for independence, and it’s in our nature, succeed or fail, to try things on our own. My daughter exemplified this at a young age, always demanding, “My byself!”
How to be a Praying Parent
Making intercessory prayers for our children is a privilege. It’s a tool from God to assist us in the high calling of rearing our offspring, which takes tremendous amounts of grit and grace.
As I Get Older, I Want to Get Younger
Bob Dylan, folk and rock singer legend, wrote a 1964 song called My Back Pages. It reflected on Dylan’s earlier idealism and included this line: “Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.” Dylan wrote it to say he had matured in his thinking but at the same time had somehow gotten younger.
No Matter your Size, you can Still be Fierce
Every time I returned from a hike, Roxie was sitting at her guard post, halfway up the stairs where she can see out the large windows that flank the stone fireplace. No one was getting away with anything on her watch.