Everywhere you look, someone’s drawing a line. The line identifies us. You’re either on my side, or the wrong side. You see the lines everywhere. I scrolled through my Facebook feed yesterday and realized I skipped a lot of items because they were about drawing lines. I’m tired of lines. Drawing lines is beyond discussing […]
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Which Fear Is Worse?
Can you imagine doing work that placed your life in danger every day? Last evening our small group learned about the work of two missionaries who rescue kids from human traffickers. They offer medical care, love, and prayer to women in one of the darkest places on Earth. Their message of peace and freedom isn’t […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! A good friend’s Facebook comment prompts today’s word-of-the-week… FEARLESS I got a lesson in fearless this week. A Facebook friend wrote some courageous thoughts about how the world appears from her perspective. Latter she said she probably lost a few friends because she was so brutally honest and vulnerable. I reassured her. Real […]
Continue readingMore TagIs Competition Bad?
“What’s wrong with competing if you’re trying to accomplish something positive?” Now THAT’S a great question. The guys in the workshop were discussing self-defeating thought patterns that arise from treating life like an endless competition. I thought for a few moments. “There’s nothing wrong with competing—in the context of a game. Just be aware that […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy The Right Word Matters
Words matter. Anyone who believes Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me hasn’t felt the sting of “four eyes” or “cripple” or “retard.” Words matter. An interesting article popped up in my Facebook feed in the aftermath of last weekend’s Super Bowl game. The title: Peyton Manning Is A […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s The Most Difficult Thing?
“I didn’t know it would be this hard.” He’s a tough guy. Lived on the streets, sold drugs, survived and in many ways thrived in a harsh, violent world. To me, THAT sounds hard, always looking over your shoulder and sleeping with one eye open, never knowing who to trust, literally fighting your way through […]
Continue readingMore TagMake An Excuse Or Write A Story
Everyone learns differently; I learn best by teaching. I’m enjoying my workshop with the guys at Harvest Farm. They’ve taught me a lot. As we’ve talked and as Becky and I process what’s happening, a simple truth emerged. # # # We all have experiences. Often those experiences, at their core, aren’t much different. But […]
Continue readingMore TagMy Yoke Is Easy
What do you think Jesus wants you to do? I’m not thinking of specific choices like whether to have pizza or turkey for lunch (I don’t think He cares). But in terms of overall life choices and directions, what do you think He wants? There are probably a lot of answers to that question, but […]
Continue readingMore TagCan A Bad Student Get Good Grades?
I was good at school, but I wasn’t a good student. I had three talents. I could absorb information, take tests, and I liked to please adults. Turns out those are pretty much what’s required to be good at school. Sadly, they have little in common with actual learning. As long as I got “A’s” […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! An amazing young man got me thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… EXAMPLE Being a professional athlete provides a huge platform. It’s interesting to watch how different individuals leverage that opportunity. We’ve heard the debate about athletes as about role models. Personally, I think it’s silly. There are plenty of knuckleheads playing big-time sports. That […]
Continue readingMore TagA Surprising Twist
Happy Saturday! I appreciate the art of communication. Anyone can create a long, boring video that explains an idea but loses the audience along the way. True art lies in presenting words and images that communicate the message while making it nearly impossible to turn away. The end of this two-minute video took me totally by […]
Continue readingMore TagLife Is Not A Game
Our culture tends to view everything as a competition. It’s all about winning and losing, success and failure. It’s a perspective that encourages a good deal of guilt, shame, and other self-defeating behavior that God never intended. A while back I analyzed this notion in a free ebook titled LIFE IS NOT A GAME. It’s […]
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