Category: Word of the Week

Happy Monday! A speaking gig this week has me thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… Experiences I’m invited to talk to a group of fifth graders tomorrow. Visiting with kids is always one of my favorite things, and I’m intrigued by the topic their teacher provided: she wants me to talk about Experiences That Shape Our Identities. […]

Happy Monday! Today’s word-of-the-week… DRAINED Do you ever begin a week with a drained battery? Do you know the feeling? The sun rises on a fresh week and it’s like you forgot to plug in the charger and there’s no emotional or spiritual juice. You know better, which makes it even worse. Maybe you even know why it […]

Happy Monday! I’m asking a question about today’s word-of-the-week… IDENTITY Who are you? You are what you eat. Or what you drive, or where you live, or how you earn a living. Of course, none of these are true. But…who are you? What’s the source of identity? I spent thirty-five years working with adolescents. Perhaps […]

Happy Monday! For some reason I’ve recently encountered—a lot—today’s difficult word-of-the-week… SHOULD We’ve all been in this position. You’re struggling, hurting with the kind of pain that stops you right in your tracks. And as you wonder where you’ll find the strength to take the next breath some well-meaning friend says, “You should …” And you want to […]

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 […]

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 […]

Happy Monday! I wonder if most weeks begin with the sense of today’s word-of-the-week… Ordinary “How can you possibly put all the stories from RICH’S RIDE in one book?” It’s a encouraging question from someone who found the project interesting and perhaps even inspiring. When I’m stuck in the middle of a manuscript it helps to remember […]

Happy Monday! I’m in a hurry to write about today’s word-of-the-week… Wait I’m writing this on the morning of the Super Bowl. In America it’s perhaps the largest social event of the year—sorta sad, but that’s for another day. The Super Bowl is apparently a football game that involves maybe an hour of football, two […]

Happy Monday! This weekend reminded me of an uncomfortable word-of-the-week… DIVIDE One of the cool things about speaking to different groups is worshipping in a variety of churches. I find it refreshing to remember that Jesus is worshipped in many different ways. Ministers wear robes, pastors wear blue jeans. Electric guitars, pipe organs, pianos, old […]

Happy Monday! I listened to a discussion this weekend that prompted thoughts about today’s word-of-the-week… GOOD Most Sundays I prepare for church while listening to a local radio program called You Get The Blessing. I like it because the hosts take Jesus seriously and themselves not so much. One of the hosts, Bo Mitchell, spent […]

Happy Monday! I wish I could get a better handle on today’s word-of-the-week… DISCONNECT I learned today that a friend recently suffered a serious injury that threatens his professional future. His response was gratitude, not for the injury but for doctors and for his friends and family. It’s a great example of action and attitude aligned […]

Happy Monday! If you’re committed to doing something differently in 2012 you might be thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… CHANGE In Isaiah 43:18 God says, “I am doing a new thing. Now it springs up! Do you not perceive it?” I believe He’s doing a new thing. My problem is the “perceiving” part. Last week I posted […]