Happy Monday! Today’s word-of-the-week… DRAINED Do you ever begin a week with a drained battery? Do you know the feeling? The sun rises on a fresh week and it’s like you forgot to plug in the charger and there’s no emotional or spiritual juice. You know better, which makes it even worse. Maybe you even know why it […]
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Success And March Madness
Happy Saturday! Here in the U.S. it’s time for an unofficial holiday season called March Madness. It’s a college basketball tournament that consumes a huge portion of our attention for three weeks. In a time where it seems that winning and losing is all that matters, I thought it might be useful to listen to […]
Continue readingMore TagObedience And The Easy Good
Are you obedient? Our small group is studying Mark’s gospel. This week we read these verses: Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found […]
Continue readingMore TagShouldn’t We Have Open Doors?
Who are you? I’m thinking this week about Identity and the values that define me. Last time (Big ‘Ol House) I talked about inclusion, the notion God’s house provides a really big place with lots of room for differences. To carry that metaphor forward, I believe that big ‘ol house has doors that swing freely in both […]
Continue readingMore TagElk River
This morning over at Rich’s Ride I posted the first part of a story about out time in Elk River, Minnesota. We weren’t actually IN Elk River, but I believe the facts shouldn’t get in the way of a good story. Anyway, I hope you’ll jump over there and check it out. I’d love to […]
Continue readingMore TagElk River Day (Part 1)
I’m sharing some excerpts from my in-progress manuscript about Rich’s Ride. You can check out previous posts here. # # # # # Elk River Day Friday of week #1 was a late-start day. St Cloud seemed determined to live up to its name as dense fog obscured cars in the hotel parking lot. I […]
Continue readingMore TagA Big Ol’ House
Yesterday I wrote about Identity. I’m thinking about who I am, or more accurately who I try to be. I know who I am—I’m a mess. True, but not very helpful. So the question is: who do I try to be? In other words, what do I (try to) value? Here’s one conclusion: I (try to) value inclusion. […]
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Happy Monday! I’m asking a question about today’s word-of-the-week… IDENTITY Who are you? You are what you eat. Or what you drive, or where you live, or how you earn a living. Of course, none of these are true. But…who are you? What’s the source of identity? I spent thirty-five years working with adolescents. Perhaps […]
Continue readingMore TagCan We Confront Injustice?
Happy Saturday! I hope you’ll grab a cup of coffee and listen to Bryan Stevenson’s sobering, inspiring message. I”m reluctant to ask you to invest twenty minutes to watch a talk. I think this one’s that important. My takeaway: The opposite of poverty isn’t wealth. The opposite of poverty is justice. Can’t see the video? Click […]
Continue readingMore TagWhy Forgive?
Note: If you’re following along this week you might guess that the posts ( Should, Can’t Forgive Lessons About Forgiving) reflect a situation I’ve encountered regarding forgiving. You’d be correct. # # # I’m glad I’m not a preacher. I hate to imagine the mess I’d create by trying to tell others how to follow Jesus. […]
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Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34 Last time (Can’t Forgive) I offered two stories about forgiving. Here are a few of the things I’ve tried to learn from those stories. Forgiving only happens when I somehow reach the difficult understanding that life isn’t about me. […]
Continue readingMore TagPeanuts And Shells–Excerpt
Over at Rich’s Ride I posted a new manuscript excerpt titled Peanuts And Shells. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out.
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