I love beginnings. Perhaps the excitement of what’s ahead draws me to beginnings. What lies ahead renews hope, excites my passion, and leads me to believe this “fresh beginning” will be better than where I have been. The Bible has many stories that remind us of fresh beginnings. Abraham left the familiar and headed for …
Politics with it’s peaks and values leaves me feeling motion sickness but can you imagine living in China during the rise of the Communist red wave? I was acquainted recently with a family who had a huge impact on my life, even though I never met them. Almost exactly one hundred years ago, In August …
It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s a quiet morning. For many years, quiet and Christmas didn’t go together. We are in a different season now: it’s quiet, which gives me time to ponder. When the kids were young, there were programs and adventures. We never emphasized getting at Christmas time; we focused more on the giving. …
Warm evenings by the fire, game night with family, and football are all a part of Thanksgiving festivities. For some, however, Thanksgiving may represent torn relationships or the loss of a loved one. Holidays are often the hardest time of year because they represent so much heartache. In everything give thanks, for this is the …
There is something unique about the Psalms. Perhaps because David and the other Psalmists speak out of their inner hearts. The inner heart is where we speak without fear of criticism or embarrassment. It’s what we think: the stuff we struggle with and the words we try to share with God. It’s also where we …
The saying holds true ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ John 4:37 According to ancient economic records the saying was very true. Often field workers worked on the land, while others literally reaped the harvest. In the ministry the saying rings true as well. It is easy to become discouraged in ministry. So many are angry …
Harvest: a seven-letter word I grew up understanding. Harvest meant work, long nights, longer days, breakdowns, the smell of corn drying in the pit dryer, big trucks, and playing in the grain wagons while the combine dumped corn on us. I also knew harvest was much more than three months in the fall. Harvest began …
“SWOP might be considered a constructive program by nonviolent scholars and activists, as it attempts to create more imaginative and just communities, reducing harm, improving health care and works to uphold the civil and human rights of workers and their communities.” (https://swopusa.org/ ) Doesn’t SWOP sound like a nice organization? One that you might even …
Conflict is something we are all well aware of between families. Conflict also brings out some of our errant behavior and permits us to make excuses for our behavior because of what we have been through. Lot’s wife was tossed in a big bowl of family salad! Lot and Abram had issues, Genesis calls it, …
My kids loved the story If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. It is about a little mouse when he is given a cookie, he is going to want a glass of milk, when he gets the milk than he will want a story to go along with his milk and cookie, when you read …