Category: Word of the Week

Happy Monday! A conversation from a long time ago prompts today’s word-of-the-week… FEELING “Love isn’t a feeling.” My friend looked at me like I’d just landed from Mars. “Of course love is a feeling. When you fall in love, it’s the greatest feeling in the world!” “And then you fall out of love and it’s the most […]

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Happy Monday! The current political “discussion” inspires today’s word-of-the-week… KNOW Some folks seem to know just about everything. The wisest people I know, the ones I trust the most, seem to be full of doubt. Where others see black-and-white, they see all sorts of nuance and shades of gray. They’re more likely to ask tough questions […]

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Happy Monday! A friend’s advice brings us today’s word-of-the-week… RESPONSIBLE “You can’t be responsible for someone else.” My friend’s right. You and I can’t be responsible for self-destructive choices made by others, though some people will try to manipulate us into that unhealthy position. There’s a line, I think, between caring about someone and taking responsibility. If […]

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Happy Monday! A friend brings us today’s word-of-the-week… FRESH My friend needs a fresh start today. In fact, given his circumstances he may need a few fresh starts in the near future. Thing is, Lent started a couple of weeks ago. Lots of us gave up something, or started something. It’s cool to have a nice, neat time when […]

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Happy Monday! A school habit brings us today’s word-of-the-week… TESTS We all learned to study for tests. School was easy, really. You learned the lessons, then took the test. Good teachers explained the material well. Good students studied and prepared for the test. The purpose of the test was to see if you learned the lesson. If […]

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Happy Monday! Something behind the scenes brings us today’s word-of-the-week… HONOR Perhaps you’re aware of a football game that was played yesterday. Something like 180 million people watched the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers play Super Bowl 50. Whether you measure in dollars spent of chicken wings consumed, the Super Bowl is a unique American spectacle. Nearly lost in […]

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Happy Monday! Two ways of framing a question brings us today’s word-of-the-week… HOW “How can someone do that to another human being?” Good question. When we see torture, slavery, child sexual abuse, it’s easy to wonder what special sort of evil invades the heart of a person who perpetrates such vile, unimaginable acts. Good question, but not […]

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Happy Monday! I’m absolutely sure about today’s word-of-the-week… UNCERTAINTY We need to embrace uncertainty. We want our answers in neat little packages. Most of the time, truth can’t be reduced to a 10-word slogan. Real solutions can’t be captured in 30-second sound bites. As followers of Jesus, of course we believe in certain absolute truths. We should […]

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Happy Monday! In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. let’s consider today’s word-of-the-week… EQUITY Dr. King spoke about justice, which is often equated with equality. Perhaps we should focus more on the notion of equity. I’m not sure how we generate equality in a diverse culture. Different abilities and passions. Different nations, backgrounds, traditions. City folks or rural folks. Even […]

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Happy Monday! A conversation with a friend got me thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… ASSUMPTIONS The assumptions people make about you, your story, and your experiences disclose a great deal. They disclose a great deal about the person making the assumptions, and you may wish to pay attention to what that person is telling you about himself. But […]

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Happy Monday! For the first Monday of 2016 a perfect word-of-the-week ENCOURAGEMENT I’m so grateful that you read these words each week, and I’m prompted to begin 2016 with a message of encouragement. I can’t promise you smooth roads and an easy path. Life doesn’t work like that. I do believe God offers an opportunity to write […]

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Happy Monday! Christmas week brings me to today’s word-of-the-week… MYSTERY Everyone else seems to have a sense about Christmas. For some, it’s politically correct Happy Holidays! For others it’s Merry Christmas and the reason for the season. Some see profits, others fear family gatherings that open old wounds. There’s vacations, celebrations, and decorations. To me, it all a mystery, and the more I understand […]

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