The Extragavant Promise of Grace

September 13, 2013

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” In a small Oregon community a 13-year-old by the name of “E” recoils from the cascading impact of years of unhealthy relationships in her life.  The chasm in her life is relational, but her inability to process […]

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Mine

September 6, 2013

Several months ago a good friend of mine let me know that he and his family would be out of town for a few weeks. He needed me to check on his house while they were gone, to make sure plants were well watered, and that the grass was properly mowed, and that everything was […]

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My Cup

August 30, 2013

And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.  Remove this cup from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.” During the past year there was a very high profile crime in Denver that captured the attention of the national media. It was ugly and detestable. To make all of […]

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Eyes First

August 23, 2013

“Look at me, Desmond.  Please look at Pops.  I want to take your picture, Des.  I want to see the birthday boy.  Come on, Desmond.” I could have clicked off many, many pictures of Desmond as he celebrated his third birthday.  He had been animated, enthusiastic and entertaining… but when it came time to capture […]

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Just as I am

August 16, 2013

Just as I am – without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me, And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,  -O Lamb of God, I come! Just as I am – and waiting not Just as I am – though toss’d about Just as I am – poor, wretched, blind; Just […]

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From the Streets of Miami to the Halls of Heaven

August 9, 2013

Body sizes of all dimensions and skin colors of all hews filled the chair-less room.  Energy oozed out of the pores of 200 middle school students as they unleashed their nitro-fueled excitement.  Camp. After a day of physically demanding activities in heat and humidity that had me changing t-shirts and taking showers in pit-stop like […]

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Behind every storm…

August 2, 2013

NOTE: This was originally published on September 2, 2011 We had just started to lay out our campsite. The tents were unpacked and the assembly technique was determined… and then the rain came. And then the hail. We sat in the car and watched. A gap in the weather gave us the window we needed […]

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Peach Season…

July 26, 2013

“For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good…” ~ Luke 6:43-44 (ESV) I always thought that peaches were a Midwest fruit. I’ve enjoyed many great peaches […]

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A Theology Lesson in a Bike Shop

July 19, 2013

I’d never entrusted my bike to the workers at Adventure Cycling before… this one-off shop is tough to notice, and frankly, had been a retail location that I’d driven by many, many times.  Ironically, it was much closer to our house than the other shops I had frequented.  So when my son, Erik, suggested that […]

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Earbuds in Review

July 12, 2013

NOTE: This was originally published on June 17, 2011 As a courtesy to others, and as a means of protecting myself, I alert an individual that I am approaching on my bicycle when I am about to pass a walker or runner on my regular cycling route. What has become an overwhelming reality in this […]

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