“Everything’s changed.” Maybe you’ve heard it, or said it. When suddenly it seems like we can’t depend on anything, it’s good to remember an eternal truth: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. “Everything” has not changed. Our plans changed, because plans are based on what we knew when we made them. […]
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Noisemakers
Principles written on paper aren’t worth much. Unless, of course, they’re backed up with action. High-sounding honor codes mean nothing if they’re not reflected in tough choices. It’s the behavior that’s matters. I’ve told you before that in later years my classroom operated on a single principle: Everyone (including the teacher) gets treated with dignity […]
Continue readingI Don’t Know
I thought I’d talk to you about all the things I don’t know, and a few things I’m sure about. Can’t see the video? Click here.
Continue readingHelpless?
No, we’re not. But maybe that’s how it feels. When we’re confronted with big numbers, when the message isn’t clear, when an invisible boogeyman lurks around every corner, it’s easy to default to helpless. Helpless happens when we feel like we’ve lost control. Of course, what we really lose is the illusion that we were […]
Continue readingAbout Going Viral
Most people don’t really understand the math of exponential growth. Right now there’s a lot of talk about a virus spreading “exponentially.” I don’t want to talk about illness, but lots of other things spread exponentially. Generosity, for example. Let’s imagine ten people committed to a cause like a bike ride to support kids rescued […]
Continue readingIt’s Not Fair!
If life’s a baseball game, I was born on second base. A white male with a stable two-parent family in middle-class America, access to quality public K-12 education and very low-cost, world-class university. I got an undeniable head start in a culture that’s allowed me to maintain and amplify my lead with less effort than […]
Continue readingPriceless
We spend a lot of time taking pictures. Posed group pictures. Action photos. Scenery. Video. On our Photo Site you can see hundreds of pictures and videos from our rides. If you didn’t know better you’d think capturing images was the whole point. Memories matter. Joshua placed an alter of 12 stones at the place […]
Continue reading“Real” Belief
Do you really believe what you believe? If you think it’s an odd question, here’s a story. A man stretched a cable about 6 feet off the ground between two tall buildings on opposite sides of the street. As a small crowd of curious onlookers gathered, the man walked from one end to the other […]
Continue readingThe Squiggle
What do you see in this image? Mostly it’s a white background, but if you’re like me you focused on the little black squiqqle. So, you’ve got this crazy dream. You’re beginning a new project, a new week, a new decade, and you’re ready to follow Jesus. You’re ready to take the next step, to […]
Continue readingWouldn’t It Be Better?
Ever hear about “speaking up for the voiceless”? It’s sort of odd, because those “voiceless” people really have the same voices as you and me. Their voices are beautiful. And capable. And worth hearing. Those voices are intentionally, systematically silenced and repressed. Or they’re simply ignored out of convenience and privilege, because their words and […]
Continue readingFights About Words
Becky and I are re-watching “The West Wing” on Netflix. One thing we enjoy is the two-decades-earlier perspective on important issues. We’ve had some lively discussions about what’s progressed and what hasn’t. One episode touched the topic of sex trafficking. In 2001, the issue was scarcely a blip on the radar. An advocacy group lobbied […]
Continue readingAbout Comparing
I ran across an interesting thought about comparing. God created all sorts of stuff. Big stuff and little stuff. Bugs. Stars. Trees. Snakes. I think He’s still creating. I don’t know how. Doesn’t matter. Each time God created, He looked at the results and “saw that it was good.” He didn’t say some things were […]
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