Happy Saturday! I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and be inspired by a 20-minute video. I invite you to leave a comment concerning your reaction to the guy in the top hat. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now […]
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Looking Forward By Looking Back
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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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 readingMore TagBethlehem: 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 readingMore TagO 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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Agape. That’s it. If you want to distill the entire notion of Christmas into a single, simple concept, it’s Agape. Self-sacrificial, intentional love. That’s the message of Christmas. I was thinking this morning about the idea of approaching Christmas intentionally (10 Ways You Can Enjoy An Intentional Christmas) and I had the idea that I […]
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“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back […]
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What would Jesus think? Last time I wrote about A Wheelchair And A Manger and wondered how Jesus would respond to the presence of a disabled person in the nativity circle. As I considered comments and reactions, I realized that I avoided my own question. I began by asking “What would Jesus think?” but I […]
Continue readingMore TagThe River (Relentless Grace excerpt #11)
Happy Monday! For the next few Mondays, I’ll post a series of excerpts from RELENTLESS GRACE. You can read previous excerpts here. I hope you enjoy them, and that you’ll encounter God’s invitation to give hope another chance. THE RIVER (Relentless Grace Excerpt #11) Note: This final excerpt includes notes from the journal that formed the […]
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What are your important anniversaries? Birthdays, weddings, holidays—we all keep significant dates tucked away as reminders of important milestones and events. Many anniversaries prompt celebrations and warm memories, but some recall events of sorrow and tragedy.
Continue readingMore TagBack To School (Relentless Grace Excerpt #10)
Happy Monday! For the next few Mondays, I’ll post a series of excerpts from RELENTLESS GRACE. You can read previous excerpts here. I hope you enjoy them, and that you’ll encounter God’s invitation to give hope another chance. BACK TO SCHOOL (Relentless Grace Excerpt #10) Prior to my accident, I taught mathematics in a junior high […]
Continue readingMore TagChristmas In The Hospital
“Wasn’t it hard to spend Christmas in the hospital?” She had just finished reading Relentless Grace and I guess the story prompted thoughts of the approaching holiday. CHRISTMAS IN A HOSPITAL might make a good title for an inspirational story or a heartwarming Hallmark movie, but it wouldn’t be my choice for personal experience. I didn’t […]
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