Today I find myself uncertain. Circumstances that are painful and beyond my control block my field of vision. It’s painful. It’s times like this where I find myself reaching for idols. Not little religious statues or a golden calf. Nothing you could see, really. Just something to give me a little hit of certainty. You […]
What a follower of Jesus can learn from insecure writers
“Sometimes I really hate the Inklings,” said Sarah. I laughed when she said it. Sarah Bessey was a keynote speakers at this year’s Faith and Culture Writers Conference. The Inklings, if you don’t know, was a gathering of writers at Oxford who would get together to drink bear, smoke cigars, and critique each other’s work. […]
Who is in charge of your brain?
My daughter is seven. She’s a tiny perfectionist, brimming with plans for the whole world. When those plans don’t work, or worse, when someone like her brother or her parents impede them, it’s painful for her. Like a tiny tsunami, crashing waves of sadness and anger rush out of her, overwhelming whatever conversation has been […]
I will make you fishers of men. Really?
My vision is changing. It happened suddenly. If I’m sitting on the couch looking at my computer screen and I look up at the TV across the room, I can almost hear the gears slowly racheting as the image comes into focus. Whirrrr. Click. Sputter. My machinery is getting old. Seeing the focusing process unfolding […]
You Delight the Father. Be Free.
I’ve been carrying a heaviness in my gut for the past few of weeks. So much busyness, yet I’m making hardly any headway in the projects I care about. I’m not living up to my own expectations in my relationships. Just feeling out of sorts. This morning I went back to the Gospel of Mark, […]
Don’t judge me! (Or maybe you should.)
Charges and consequences were starting to rain down. I was sad because of this turn of events and the consequences I knew my friend would face. But I was surprised by something he said. He was indignant. He kept talking about how unfair the officers had been. He was angry that he was being treated […]
The Gospel you believe shapes the life you live.
My back deck has the potential for an incredible view. We sit above a small valley, so I ought to be able to see lights below. The direction our deck faces ought to give me a full panorama of Mount Hood. I don’t get to see any of that. The property just below ours is […]
A bigger life needs a bigger gospel.
A friend of mine was upset. She had just signed up for an online coaching experience. The marketing was strong and professional. The reputation of the coach was sterling. She even had some experience with previous products from this person that were great. So, she laid down a good chunk of money for the opportunity. […]
Which Eternal Life are you Chasing?
I’ve always been intrigued by the big questions of life. Who am I really? Why am I here? What’s my purpose? That’s why things like mission statements and core values (You should get some!) are intriguing to me. I like to know the overview. Growing up in a religious home and community, I was given […]
Want an Abundant Life? Change how you see God.
Here in the early days of 2014, we’re in that tantalizing space of opportunity. The reflection we do at New Years is still fresh. We haven’t quite settled back into the habitual routine of life. We still feel like change can happen. As I’ve asked people what they want for their new year, not one […]
Why you shouldn’t delete Facebook this year.
“Hey Guys… You’re going to be seeing less of me around here…” We’re twenty hours into the new year and I’ve already seen a double handful of Facebook posts announcing that their posters will be spending less time on Facebook this year. I understand that desire. It wasn’t so many years ago that most of us […]