Category: New Beginnings

Plans are useless; planning is indispensable. Dwight D. Eisenhower Have you ever planned and dreamed about something until you were certain that you had it all figured out–and then watched as things unraveled? I didn’t write the following story, but I share it with the hope that you’ll join me in seeking a bigger perspective.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great […]

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” … On coming to the house, they […]

Are you an “email forwarder?” You know what I mean—all of those clever email messages you’re supposed to send to ten of your friends right away? I receive a lot of them, I read some, but I almost never pass them along. Email inboxes already contain enough stuff, and I usually wonder who had time […]

Yesterday I asked a question: Who Else Wants To Finish Strong? The question referenced my 2009 resolution about Living Intentionally and proposed the notion of an Intentional Christmas. After I posted the article and listened to feedback, I decided to be a little more specific about what I meant. “Intentional” simply means making conscious choices […]

What’s your personal theology? A while back, I started a personal project. I wanted to identify one hundred scripture passages that form the core of my theology. I think we’re each accountable tor knowing what we believe, and I thought this exercise might help me crystalize my thinking.

How much does it cost? I read an article this week that estimated the cost of raising a child to age eighteen. According to a study, the average parent will spend about $250,000 just to get a child to the point where they can incur really serious debt for college. The writer speculated whether this […]

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” [Matthew 11: 28-30] What […]

Have you ever looked out an airplane window at night? I flew across most of the U.S. last night and received a glimpse of daily life from a different perspective.

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not […]

 The ultimate measure of a person is not where one stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where one stands in times of challenge and controversy. Martin Luther King  Have you ever thought you were too weak to help?

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. [Galatians 5:1] How much do we limit ourselves with a misguided sense of obligation?