Early in my ministry I had books of canned sermon illustrations. You could look up any topic and find a story, joke or charming anecdote. For example, JOY: Jesus and Moses were playing golf.... Thank God I rid myself of all those books. They were terrible. Thank God I learned real life was richer, fuller,… Continue reading joy.
It is a spiritual practice. I check in with myself every day to see how I'm feeling. When I journal every morning, after I review the day that has just passed, I jot down what I know about the current day. Then, I write down what I'm feeling. It is almost always a "mixed grill"… Continue reading Peaceful Butterflies
Last week I lost a friend, someone exactly my age, to pancreatic cancer. As I prepared to preach at his funeral I learned he had a tattoo on his back with Proverbs 27:17 etched there. My friend, in the last five years of his life, competed in 4 full Iron Man triathlons where you swim… Continue reading As Iron Sharpens Iron
Every Christmas, I remember the Christmas when I was six. I've written about it, preached about it and told the story over and over to whoever would listen. The season is enhanced by the re-telling of our stories. That year, for the Christmas Eve midnight live nativity, my mom was Mary and my dad was… Continue reading Wonder/Incarnation
Yoga requires practice. I've been practicing it for almost two years and have so much to learn. I'm amazed when I even miss a few days at how tightly bound I become. Sports require practice. Music does. I feel like relationships do. After 33 years of marriage, I find myself still practicing at being a… Continue reading Practice
I'm writing this on Sunday before any of us know how the midterm elections turn out. You will be reading it after we know. So, not knowing the outcome, I believe it is safe to say it has been a rather exhausting season leading up to this moment. Seems like an excellent time to share… Continue reading Pace Yourself
In recent days, I find myself once again grieving for people I've never met, people whose lives were suddenly shattered with violence, people in public places, people praying, people believing they were safe in their daily lives. Often when this happens, I do not know what to do. I wish for someone to blame. In… Continue reading Choose Love
