Untie the Donkey

March 27, 2015

As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie […]

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Over and Over Again

March 23, 2015

“Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,” Jeremiah 1:4 With this, the book of Jeremiah begins. God, speaking to, and speaking through a reluctant but available mouthpiece. Over and over again these words are repeated in the prophetic narrative of Jeremiah. “The word of the Lord came to me…” Jeremiah was tuned in. Jeremiah was attentive. […]

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A Calendar Date with Destiny

March 13, 2015

Every few weeks Mary and I sit down with our calendars and have a time together that we affectionately call our “Calendar Date.” Mary’s technology of choice is a classic paper calendar that shows the entire month on two side by side pages. I’m far more high tech and prefer to fumble around on my […]

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A Putin Pay Cut

March 6, 2015

This just in… the Russian economy is slowly imploding, burdened with the weight of mounting expenses and declining oil revenues. With the realities of this economic crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin has enacted a sweeping cut in government pay of 10%. The story also highlights the fact that Putin will include his own compensation in […]

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Only Rowan

February 27, 2015

We moved in, as they moved out. Our intersection was a small breezeway between two double doors. Mary and I were with Rowan, our 18-month-old grandson. The two individuals coming toward us were not with their grandson, but rather an enormous dog. We met in the middle. Spontaneous in its origin, the encounter was laced […]

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A Gut Feel

February 20, 2015

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them… Matthew 9:36 It was in his gut. Jesus felt it. A deep ache that he embraced as his own when he entered into the spiritual aimlessness of the people. I’ve often celebrated the historic power of Jesus becoming flesh and living among us… but that doesn’t […]

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I’ve Proved Him Over and Over

February 13, 2015

Trust is the gateway to intimacy. It is the currency in the marketplace of authentic relationship. Trust invites courage and assaults fear. Trust trades on the equity of integrity. I am desperate to trust… but unreliable in delivery. In 1882 Louisa Stead poured the spotlight of trust on the only dependable source: Tis so sweet […]

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Seven

January 30, 2015

“When I was seven I took care of my younger brothers while my parents fought the power of addiction.” These words cut like a razor sharp knife through my soul as I watched a ministry update from one of our chapters. Innocence obliterated. Children, not only caring for children, but parenting parents. Seven. “God found […]

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TBT

January 23, 2015

The Urban Dictionary defines this new social media propelled phrase as: ThrowBack Thursday. The letters are a preamble to post a picture or narrative that reflects on some experience from the past. It makes Thursday the perfect day to glance in the rear view mirror, and to include others in that look backward. Today, a […]

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The Tale of the Thermostat

January 16, 2015

The house that Mary and I bought in June of 2005 had a thermostat that could be managed with a scheduling setting. This included both furnace and air-conditioner settings. Certainly there have been times when we’ve found this useful, but there have also been times when we have chosen to manually manage the temperature. Christmas […]

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