Month: September 2021
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Jonah’s Grace
My early experience of Christianity did not include much grace. Oh yes, I believed that Jesus died for my sins. I hoped for Heaven as my eternal home, but in my mind God was less a friend and more like a Cop waiting in life’s speed trap. I thought He lurked at the edges of […]
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The Jonah Choice
We Americans love our independence, don’t we? We like our own way, to have multiple options. Heard anyone order their coffee in the local shop lately? For many it’s no longer just “cream and sugar.” That cup of coffee is customized with a shot of this and a dollop of that to make it just […]
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Toddler Tantrums or Steady Maturity?
Gloria Gaither, songwriter and poet, in her book Because He Lives, writes about an incident when her son, Benjy, was a toddler. He was enjoying a happy day at a birthday party. He and his grandma were playing at baseball; she gently lobbing the ball toward him, he swinging the bat. That sweet moment evaporated […]
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Following Fools?
“We follow the science.” This is the new mantra of those who are directing our lives in this brave new world. Make no mistake: I am grateful for scientific knowledge, glad for those who study and discover the many things that make our lives so much healthier, longer, and more comfortable. But, what of those […]
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Scammed!
Since the dawn of human history there have been frauds, crooks, and cheats. The digital age makes ‘scamming’ others an international effort. With a phone call, that crook looking for your elderly mom’s bank information can reach out from Nigeria. Hackers who hide in safe remote countries work at gaining access to our financial information […]
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The Tension
Truth and love are always held in tension. Any husband knows that. When asked if he likes the new hair-do, is he truthful or loving? (That’s autobiographical material, by the way. I admit to telling Bev what she wanted to hear most of the time because of love.) When a friend is making what appears […]
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An Enlarged Heart!
At dinner on Wednesday evening somehow the conversation fell on the subject of giving to the church. “It’s always about the money,” my friend said. In some congregations that might be true, but it never was in the churches that I pastored. I am convinced that people ‘spend’ on things they value or need. If […]
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Love that Will Not Let Me Go
A friend, a missionary who served in obscurity for decades, died yesterday. All the sweet words in the world did not lift the sadness from me. I visited Chuck’s Mom to bring her the sad news and to share a few minutes of caring with her. These encounters with mortality remind me, once again, just […]
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Praying. Just a lot of talk?
At 2 am, when I awaken in the dark, I pray; quiet communion with my Friend! Last night I began to think of a friend who is dying, of his family gathered around his bed, and I prayed. Yesterday, in the afternoon, a person called me excited about a big opportunity in his life and […]
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Captain of Your Salvation
Dr. Henry Cloud tells us that we are leaving a wake on life’s ocean. In case the term is not familiar, the wake of a ship are those waves created by the vessel as it moves through the water. His words are beautiful and thought provoking. “You can tell a lot about a ship as […]
CoffeeBreak With The Word 