“Christ is King, but life’s still hard.” I looked at his lined, weathered face and thought I’d rarely heard a better seven-word sermon. I also thought I likely had no idea what “hard” meant in his world. It’s easy to discover the truth of either half of my friend’s statement. When the sun shines and all […]
Continue readingNo Victims
Being part of the FREEDOM TOUR team is a blessing. Membership offers a variety of benefits, but there’s one thing I can’t be as part of this team. I can’t be a victim. I have this nasty tendency to feel sorry for myself. Given the choice, I lean toward blaming circumstances or other people when […]
Continue readingFear In The News
From Gareth Higgins, A Newsfeed Of Fear Our culture has been hoodwinked by the idea that we’re living in the center of crisis, when actually we’re in the midst of the evolution of hope. Those of us who are suffering will not be removed from harm’s way or helped to heal by sensationalist retellings of […]
Continue readingA New Look At Courage
I’m excited about my upcoming talk at TEDx Front Range. I’ll encourage the audience to follow big dreams. At one point I’ll show this picture and ask them to consider an important insight: When you help someone climb a hill, you end up at the top. I borrowed these thoughts from the archives to illustrate […]
Continue readingHow Expectations Spoil The Conclusion
I’d like you to meet two friends. Matt is a drug addict. He’s used and sold a variety of illegal drugs, and been involved in the crime associated with that lifestyle. He’s been homeless, taken advantage of friends and family, and skirted along the edges of society for many of his nearly thirty years. Bret […]
Continue readingDetachment
HAPPY MONDAY! Some internal conversations bring us today’s word-of-the-week… DETACHMENT God and I have had some conversations recently about detachment. My feeling, my internal sense of well-being, seems detached from circumstances. Things are going great, but I feel this internal depression and sadness with no apparent source or reason. Since this blog is about following Jesus […]
Continue readingA Repeat Message About Choices
(I borrowed this post from the archives.) I love this picture. We use it throughout our workshop at Harvest Farm. The first time I show it I ask the guys what the sheep might be thinking. What’s your first reaction? Some of the responses are fairly predictable. Don’t look down! This isn’t fair. How did […]
Continue readingThe Truth About Truth
The other night we were talking about truth. What’s truth? Can we know it? Is there more than one version? Heady questions, for sure. I’ve been thinking about my ideas in connections with the TEDx Front Range talk I’m doing next month, and I thought I’d share a bit of it here. I’d appreciate your […]
Continue readingI Need A Plan
Before I can start, I need a plan. Before I start, I need to get workout clothes that fit. And shoes. And join a gym. And load some new songs on my iPod. Then I’ll get a meal plan and go shopping, and I’ll be ready to start! # # # Maybe you do need […]
Continue readingOut Of The Comfort Zone
I was sure I wouldn’t be accepted. Last October I saw an invitation to submit proposals for TEDx Front Range. If you’re not familiar, TEDx is a local affiliate of the international TED organization. TED talks are interesting, incredibly well done, and cover a wide range of topics. Anyway, I submitted a proposal, mostly on a whim, […]
Continue readingFixing Bikes, Making Friends
The best thing about the FREEDOM TOUR is sharing it. In fact, that’s one of the main reasons for doing it. We want to create a community that empowers people to trust God, work together as servant leaders, and offer hope to others. So we look for ways to expand the circle. Several guys from Harvest Farm […]
Continue readingAppease
HAPPY MONDAY! A word I never use is today’s word-of-the-week… APPEASE I heard the word in a sermon, but I’m far too familiar with the concept of trying to appease God. When you lay it out, it sounds silly. Appeasement means paying God off. If I give God something that pleases Him, He’ll give me something […]
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