Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. [Isaiah 43: 18-19] Can looking backward inspire dreams? Does the past reveal aspirations and goals, the […]
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Encourage
It’s Monday, and at Bouncing Back that means it’s time for the Word of the Week. ENCOURAGE This is a follow-up from last week’s word, courage: the willingness to act for right regardless of risk. One of the most important aspects of courage is encourage. To me, that means you give courage to others. So encourage […]
Continue readingHow Do I Represent Jesus?
Am I a Christian? Yesterday I wrote about labels (What’s Your Label?) from my perspective as a wheelchair user. One commenter observed that labels make it easier to navigate our relationships. Once I know you’re one of “those” I automatically respond in a certain manner. While that may not be right, it’s probably realistic.
Continue readingWhat’s Your Label?
Once you label me you negate me. Soren Kierkegaard What do you want to be called? As a wheelchair user, I encounter this question more than most folks. Sometimes it’s directed toward me personally, but more often it comes up in an article or interview. The question-behind-the-question is really “How can we label you […]
Continue readingHow To Expand Your Circle
How do you expand your circle? If you’ve followed along for a while, you know that I think about this community as a circle. The basic idea is that the circle defines whatever the community’s about-core values, mission, goals, stuff like that. You can check out the about page or Defining The Circle for some […]
Continue readingCourage
Happy Monday! It’s the beginning of a new week, a new year, and even a new decade—just in case you didn’t know. So, since everything else is new, we’re going to try a new Monday feature for Bouncing Back. I’m creatively calling it our WORD OF THE WEEK. The idea is to simply put a […]
Continue readingGrace And Truth
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. [John 1:14] Grace and truth? I think a lot about John’s opening verses describing Jesus simply as The Word. I love the poetry, […]
Continue readingWhat’s Going To Happen?
What will happen in 2010? The only answer, of course, is that we have no idea what will happen. And, to a large extent, we can’t control many of the events that will shape our lives in the next twelve months—or the next twelve hours. We can control only our attitudes and our efforts, the […]
Continue readingSetting The Stage For Success
So, how did 2009 go for you? A few weeks ago I asked a question (Who Else Wants To Finish Strong?) about completing the year rather than simply running out the clock. I hope I did that, but now it’s time to reflect, plan, and look forward to whatever’s next.
Continue readingBethlehem: So What?
Yesterday our pastor, Dick Foth, asked a surprising question. In a post-Christmas reflection looking back at Bethlehem, he asked, “So what?” Pastors usually don’t ask questions like that without offering some direction. Dick provided his own insightful answer to “So what?” and also provoked me to seek my own response. I thought it was a pretty worthwhile […]
Continue readingThe Light Of The World
What happens when there’s no light? Last evening I sat in the dark with nearly two thousand people. As we passed the flame from candle to candle, the room took on a warm glow. Then, in unison, we raised the candles and proclaimed: YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD That’s exactly what happened in […]
Continue readingO Holy Night
Christmas Eve, 1906 marked a significant event. One hundred three years ago, the first AM radio broadcast occurred. It’s reported that ships off the New England coast heard the first song ever broadcast: O HOLY NIGHT.
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