From Zephaniah to South Carolina

June 26, 2015

But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, (Zephaniah 3:12) A prophetic voice echoed in the souls of God’s chosen people. Through the valley of corruption, of injustice, of oppression, of religious heresy, of violence, during an historic time of fragmentation […]

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The Snake Came Out of the High Grass… Once Again

June 19, 2015

The temperatures were mild, the wind was light, and the sidewalk was smooth and wide. Nearly perfect. Mary and I have pedaled many miles on the local reservoir path; an eight-mile loop. We rolled, talked, and then rolled along in silence. At mile six we both glanced up to see a sizable snake stretched across […]

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Your Reservation is Ready… Now

June 12, 2015

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9) Inexpressible joy. Unbounded. Unconstrained. Unleashed. Words can be beautiful, particularly […]

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God Without Matches and Lighter Fluid

June 8, 2015

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) She was […]

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An Invitation to a Spending Spree

May 29, 2015

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  (1 John 3:1a) Managing finite resources is a daily challenge for each of us. We work to match income and expenses in a way that reflects the reality of our personal situation, as […]

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The Check Cleared the Bank

May 22, 2015

Into the abyss of fear, confusion, and uncertainty, Jesus makes good on a promise that has reverberated throughout time. The blood of Jesus had been splashed against the canvas of history and now His followers clung to the cosmic image of a wounded king ascended. Emmanuel was gone. God was gone. And so they waited […]

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Sometimes…

May 15, 2015

Several weeks ago on an ideal Saturday afternoon, I took a pruning saw and clipper to my back yard. We have three trees that are flourishing, but in their exuberant growth they had outpaced both aesthetics and convenience, and so they needed a gardener’s hand. With exceptional care I picked the branches to trim. As […]

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The Denver Post as my Amplified Version (Revisited)

May 8, 2015

In June of 2013 I wrote the following Fragment. While the news about the IRS is not as prominently in the spotlight, it is nonetheless a proxy for many other scandalous issues. As such, the lesson below continues to rattle my soul. “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. […]

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Window or Aisle

May 1, 2015

As I boarded a Southwest flight this week I trailed a boy who was boarding as an “unaccompanied minor.” That meant a flight attendant was thoughtfully escorting him on every step of his journey. Once the young man was on the flight, the flight attendant waved her hand across the expanse of the empty airplane […]

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When all there is…

April 24, 2015

This past Tuesday I was invited to join a group of pastors and ministry leaders from Parker, Colorado. Teen suicide has hit the shores of this Denver suburb with tsunami-like impact. A day before the breakfast I was asked if I would be willing to share a few thoughts with these men and women. As […]

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