Happy first Monday of 2011! A new year provides a reminder of something that’s true every day for a follower of Jesus. This year’s initial word-of-the-week… Rebirth God offers a fresh start every day. The old stuff, the bad choices, the failures—they’re past, and because of Jesus’ sacrifice we get to set them aside and […]
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Another Next Year
Happy New Year! Happy people make people happy — but you can’t make someone be happy. Gretchen Rubin It’s next year. Let’s work together to make it a great one. Today I want to re-post my favorite video of 2010. It reminds me of what I want 2011 to be about. The Butterfly Circus […]
Continue readingWell Done
HAPPY NEW YEAR! How old were you when you finally realized that nobody was watching? I grew up in a small town. It was literally impossible to get away with anything. If I messed up on the other side of town, my mom somehow found out before I got home. I developed this eerie sense […]
Continue readingHow To Find Faith
Have you ever noticed that some things are hard to get unless you already have them? We’re spending Christmas week on a snowy Midwestern farm. Yesterday the kids were preparing for a sledding expedition and one of the little guys realized his boots were in the car. A foot of icy, wet snow covered the […]
Continue readingLife Is Not A Game: A Free Ebook
I’m excited to hear your reactions to the ideas in my new (free) ebook titled LIFE IS NOT A GAME: Rules, rebellion, and freedom as a follower of Jesus. I talk to many folks who seem to view Christianity as a game with a laundry list of rules and restrictions. I think it’s a flawed […]
Continue readingFinishing And Beginning
What are you doing this week? This is a strange week in our cultural calendar. For many folks, today means back-to-work. For others it’s returning or exchanging, taking a break, or wrapping up family visits. Lots of emails generate automatic “out-of-the-office” messages during this week. I have two main tasks for this last week of […]
Continue readingAftermath
Happy Monday-after! An obvious choice for today’s word-of-the-week… Aftermath Do you feel a letdown after big events? We’re in a small farmhouse with grandparents, kids, grandkids, great-grandkids. Toys are broken, parts missing, movies already watched. Cultural Christmas is over. Now what? This week shouldn’t be just about driving home or preparing for the next party. […]
Continue readingThe Night Before Christmas
Watch this with some children (or children-at-heart) if you can. A beloved story read by a wonderful storyteller. (If you can’t see the video, click here.) I wish you a time of joy and peace. Merry Christmas!
Continue readingWanting Less For Christmas
Today I’m thinking about wanting less. That’s a bit odd, given that we’re heading over the river and through the woods to my in-laws’ house filled with gift-crazed kids from four generations. We’re preparing for the annual unwrapping frenzy loosely inspired by ancient offerings of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. I love opening my surprises as […]
Continue readingSemi-Regular Newsletter 12.21.2010
Here’s a link to the Merry Christmas edition of Rich’s Semi-Regular Newsletter. Wishing you all the best in this joyous season.
Continue readingDo I HAVE to Forgive?
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Lewis Smedes Don’t you hate it when faith conflicts with feelings? If you’re any sort of sports fan you know about Michael Vick. He’s a pro football player who was convicted and sent to prison for financing and participating in […]
Continue readingMerry Christmas
Happy Monday-before-Christmas! Today I’m breaking with tradition. Instead of a word, I’m proposing a phrase-of-the-week … Merry Christmas! My odd sense of humor always finds a chuckle in the debate between the “Merry Christmas” crowd and the “Happy Holidays” advocates. I’m a solid “Merry Christmas” guy. I refuse to back off. No “Season’s Greetings” from […]
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