There Were Four, Not Three

June 20, 2014

Often, when asked about the “friends of Job” in the Old Testament account of bad advice giving and gridlock, there are three names mentioned.  I confess that under the pressure of a million dollar question on Jeopardy I would have answered incorrectly.  “Three!” In Chapter 32 of the book, we’re introduced to a new character.  […]

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Somebody Else’s Cowbell

June 13, 2014

My ride started innocently enough, but without premeditation, I had merged into the cycling route of a local triathlon.  Saturday at the Aurora Reservoir was a noteworthy adventure, and as I pulled onto east bound Quincy Avenue, I was the fortunate benefactor of a road closed to motor traffic and a sweeping flow of riders. […]

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A Few Changes to the Job Description

June 6, 2014

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:18-19) Jesus broke through the focused activities of two […]

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“The World Itself Could Not Contain”

May 23, 2014

An early breakfast at Cracker Barrel in Gas City, Indiana, afforded me the opportunity to listen, learn and savor time with Jay Kesler.  Jay is a trusted friend, a wise advisor, and a man of Godly depth.  I love him.  He served as the President of Youth for Christ/USA from 1973 to 1985, so he […]

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FellowshipChicago

May 16, 2014

Old steel beams and concrete floors shrouded the vision in front of me.  Members of the FellowshipChicago leadership team spoke with clarity and hope about what was going to be. A charter school.  A retail space to offer vocational opportunity.  A worship center. The immediate condition of the property didn’t discourage or overwhelm these leaders.  […]

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A glance into a mirror that I didn’t expect…

May 2, 2014

Mack was unwrapping the mess that was his childhood. An absent mother, a robust and destructive gang community, drugs, violence and ultimately incarceration. Without being mean-spirited, Mack challenged the notion that the juvenile justice system as it stands could ever rehabilitate a young law breaker. He understood and embraced both the need for justice and […]

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It’s In Pop’s Pocket

April 17, 2014

I’m not exactly sure when I became a “handkerchief guy,” but that’s what I am.  Nearly everywhere I go I carry a carefully folded white cloth in my pocket.  I suppose this might have been initiated when my growing collection of whiskers made the flimsy tissues disintegrate into my mustache.  Unaware, I would then proceed […]

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Compassion… North Dakota Style

April 4, 2014

A North Dakota fishing spot and a relationally-engaged Youth for Christ staff person provided the perfect conduit through which a memory could be forged.  Justin was hungry for an experience that involved both adventure and companionship; and in a single day he got both. Some simple instruction and a few well-equipped guides provided the fertile […]

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Broiled Not Boiled

March 28, 2014

I get it.  Really, I do.  High tech momentum is fueling innovation and discovery at increasing velocity.  Phones, watches, health and exercise bracelets, houses that respond through instruction from those very devices; and all this in your automobile and more. Faster, smaller, smarter… barriers have been blown by without so much as a speed check. […]

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Ready!

March 21, 2014

Desmond is our three-year-old grandson.   His love and life are a gift to all of us. Just last night Desmond spent the night at our house.  Over the last year he has shifted his sleeping location from a crib to a queen-sized bed in our guest room.  But in the course of this transition, one […]

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