I follow the Auschwitz Museum on Twitter. Each day they commemorate an individual victim. A photo, a birthday, a name, an occupation. How they arrived at the camp. The (often tragic) outcome. This week marked Holocaust Remembrance Day. I tend to think of the holocaust as “really old history” until I realize many of the […]
Continue readingLosing A Hero
I don’t use the word “hero” casually. Especially when referring to professional athletes, it’s easy to become hyperbolic when describing our favorites. In one case, it’s nearly impossible to overstate a man’s impact. Hank Aaron was a hero. Certainly among a small handful of the greatest baseball players of all time. Civil rights icon. Humble. […]
Continue readingAn Unexpected Sermon
Sermons come in many forms. Sometimes they’re in church. This week we all got to hear a wonderful message from Amanda Gorman, America’s first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate. Ms. Gorman read her poem THE HILL WE CLIMB at President Biden’s inauguration. If you didn’t hear her recitation, I recommend looking it up. The poem included […]
Continue readingEverybody Knows Your Name
People want a place to belong. The TV show CHEERS became wildly popular around the simple notion that ordinary characters just wanted a place of their own, in this case a neighborhood bar. Norm even had his own stool. The chorus of the CHEERS theme song explains the entire premise of the show. Sometimes you […]
Continue readingConsequences
What’s “courage?” Bravery? Facing your fears? David standing up to Goliath? All good examples, but courage is really pretty simple. Courage means doing what’s right regardless of consequences. Simple, perhaps, but certainly not easy. I’ve had this conversation – with myself and others – and here’s what often happens. I might lose friends. Family members […]
Continue readingCan We Talk?
Let’s all agree that 2020 was horrible. Nobody liked 2020, and we’re all glad it’s over. So let’s get the griping and complaining out of the way. It was, to quote Dr. Seuss, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. Now, can we let it go? Can we acknowledge that the pain was real […]
Continue readingGood And Bad Things
I may have a new philosophy of life. Okay, maybe that’s a bit over the top. But I heard a statement that stopped me in my tracks. I’m not even sure about the specific topic, but that’s not important. We don’t do bad things to stop bad things. We do good things to stop bad […]
Continue readingThe End
Actually, it’s the beginning, but you and I don’t need another rant about how 2020 was the most horrible year ever so the next one has to be better. The calendar has no agency. The past year didn’t do anything to us, and whatever was happening yesterday will continue, unless we do something about it. […]
Continue readingWhat’s In A Name?
It’s one of those old-timey songs. I’ve heard it dozens of times, but when it popped into my head this morning – things just stopped. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s something about that name… Honestly, I know the melody but I’d have to look up the rest of the lyrics. That’s okay, because that one line […]
Continue readingLearn What I Already Know
I’m waiting, preparing for FREEDOM TOUR 2021 and the birth of Jesus. In His Advent journal, my friend Jon encouraged us today to “listen” as part of waiting. I thought about a guy who came up to me after a presentation a while back. After thanking me, he said something quite profound. “You taught me […]
Continue readingBelieving And Deciding
“We make decisions based on our beliefs.” Pastor Dick Foth spoke about the difficult choice Joseph made. His teenaged fiancé was pregnant, and he wasn’t the father. Mary told an unbelievable tale, then an angel showed up in a dream and said, “God did it.” Joseph could have broken the engagement. He could have had […]
Continue readingPrince Of Shalom
Every Christmas we hear the ancient words of Isaiah: For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I’ve wondered a lot about that last phrase, never more that during this insane year. What could it possibly mean […]
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