Last time I talked about following Jesus with purpose. It sounds so good when you say it at the start of new year, all fresh and new and ready to jump in with both feet. Then you think about actually having to do it, and it sounds a little harder. At least it does to […]
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Perspective
Things look different when we zoom out.
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A Too-Familiar Story
Becky and I are binging a series in which a young lady catches fire for Jesus. Life is wonderful. God is great…all the time. Can’t get enough Bible study, worship, preaching. Ever been there? Then, the inevitable happens. Tragedy. Loss. Indescribable pain. And, of course, questions. If God is so good, why did He do […]
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Half A Life
I wasn’t sure I’d get to write this post. Today is the 36th anniversary of my accident. 36 years since I fell 9 feet from a roof, took my first-ever ambulance ride, and learned I’d spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I wasn’t sure I’d get to write this post, because a […]
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“Gratitude turns what we have…into enough.” A lot of us are sort of recovering from a day of feasting and celebrating and giving thanks. For many folks, today will be about leftovers and turkey sandwiches and, of course, football. I’ve been pondering what it means to be truly thankful in the midst of abundance. I […]
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“Independence”
People do a lot of kind things so I can be “independent.” My bike has a unique brake, similar to an old-school coaster brake on a kid’s bike. It allows me to pedal backwards to stop without removing my hands from the cranks. Very cool. The drawback – I can’t reverse the cranks or roll […]
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Sod Or Seed?
In the “old days” yards were planted with seed. Scatter the seed, water it, wait a while, and grass grows. But we, of course, are impatient. So we use sod. Instant yards. Dirt in the morning, grass by nightfall. It’s a pretty good metaphor for the way we deal with a lot of processes. Jesus […]
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Wrecking A Classroom
Isaac Newton invented calculus in isolation. Newton was a student at Cambridge University in 1665 when students were sent home in fear of bubonic plague. Studying privately, Newton developed the basic ideas of calculus…as well as gravitational theory and optics. Most of us are not Isaac Newton. Perhaps the most powerful lesson I learned in […]
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Examples
A reader asked if I could provide some examples of my theory concerning needs versus preferences. Remember the first day of class, the ritual of calling role? The simplest way is for the teacher to read the names and have the students respond, right? Works great for most students, except maybe that kid with the […]
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Scattering Seeds
A few more comments to follow up on the last two posts about legacy & making a difference. After my talk on Saturday, people were gracious – as always. All sorts of comments about the impact of the story and how I’ve touched so many people along the way. I appreciate the kindness. But comments […]
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Be Still
I listened to a friend speak for a few minutes on Saturday morning. John played some music and then shared a bit of his amazing journey. As part of his talk he shared this verse: The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. In other translations that last phrase says “just stay calm,” “hold […]
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Accountable Or Responsible
Lots of conversation these days about accountability. To me, though, most of this “accountability” is just about pointing fingers and blaming. There’s nothing wrong with holding people accountable when they’ve done something wrong, but I think we confuse it with a bigger idea. What we really want, I think, is for people to take responsibility. […]
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