Note 1: My friend Jon Swanson is leading an online Lenten devotional based on Mark’s gospel. I recommend that you check it out as a way to prepare intentional for Easter. Note 2: My small group is also doing a study of Mark. That sort of “coincidence” leads me to wonder if I’m supposed to pay […]
Continue readingMission
Happy Monday! Monday’s a good day for this word-of-the-week… Mission I like questions. Our small group is working through Mark’s gospel. We’re still in the first chapter and I’m already stuck on a question. In one short chapter Jesus sees heaven open and hears God’s audible blessing. He calls disciples. He defeats his enemy’s temptations […]
Continue readingToward Deeper Connections
Happy Saturday! Have you ever wondered how to make deeper, more meaningful connections with others? David Brooks explains the powerful role of social connections and our failed struggle to make decisions purely rationally. A favorite thpught: Emotion is the foundation of reason because it teaches us what to value. Can’t see the video? Click here. Have […]
Continue readingSweet Spot Or Comfort Zone?
Note: I posted a manuscript excerpt over at Rich’s Ride. I hope you’ll stop by and check out Top Of The Hill. # # # # # A few days ago I tossed out a definition: A dream is the God-inspired desire to share your unique gifts and passions to serve and make a difference […]
Continue readingDrop Everything
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Mark 1:16-18 So here comes Jesus […]
Continue readingTop Of The Hill
I’m sharing some excerpts from my in-progress manuscript about Rich’s Ride. You can check out previous posts here. # # # # # Some hills never end. That, of course, is a lie. Even the longest, steepest hill leads to an eventual summit. The pain and struggle always end. You crank up a difficult ascent […]
Continue readingDefining A Dream
I’m willing to accept wisdom wherever I can find it, even if the source is an egg-shaped philosopher named Humpty Dumpty. Whenever I struggle to understand a word I’m reminded of this conversation from Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means […]
Continue readingDefining A Dream
I’m willing to accept wisdom wherever I can find it, even if the source is an egg-shaped philosopher named Humpty Dumpty. Whenever I struggle to understand a word I’m reminded of this conversation from Lewis Carroll’s Through The Looking Glass: “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means […]
Continue readingPrioritize
Happy Monday! Let’s begin with an appropriate word-of-the-week… PRIORITIZE I watched a big chunk of Whitney Houston’s memorial service this weekend. I can’t escape the haunting sense of enormous waste. After the songs and stories, Pastor Marvin Winans captured my thoughts with the theme of his powerful, emotional sermon: prioritize. He talked about “putting things […]
Continue readingGod’s Masterpiece?
Happy Saturday! Do you ever read a Bible passage without really READING it? Without internalizing and taking it seriously? I do that all the time. Here’s an example: Can’t see the video? Click here. Have a great weekend.
Continue readingThe Word In A Box
Do you have a “favorite” Bible passage? I like ice cream. A lot. I like lots of other things—baseball and dogs and riding my bike. But I REALLY LIKE ice cream. So I struggle in an ice cream shop that offers dozens of choices. They’re all wonderful and choosing one means rejecting the rest. I […]
Continue readingDodging The Fear
Do you ever have conversations with yourself? “What’s next?” “What do you mean? “Well, you’re telling us about your bike ride and describing it as a dream. What does that mean? Was it an item on your bucket list, something to accomplish and then move on to the next thing? Because it seems like a […]
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