Well, the world is ending—again. Unless you’ve been living in a cave for the last five years or so, you already know that the world is scheduled to come to an end on December 21st. This is because the Mayan calendar comes to an end, which of course means the world must be ending as well. We haven’t been told exactly how this apocalypse is going to occur, but many possibilities have been suggested—everything from a rogue planet (that somehow... Read more
I recently read a book titled, “teacher” The Henrietta Mears Story, by Marcus Brotherton. In the Introduction section, Brotherton is describing the influence Donald Miller’s highly successful book, Blue Like Jazz, had on his friend’s widow shortly after he had passed away. He talks about our simple and small influence in people’s lives being so alive it “thunders with reverberation even after a passage of time.” In tracing the influence of ministry he uses Miller’s book as an example. Miller’s... Read more
Finish the sentence: “When I was in high school, you would have found me…” How would you answer? Every year my board of directors and their spouses gather together for a Christmas dinner. At occasions like this, I love to propose a question everyone answers around the table. Last year I used the one above. The responses revealed a lot: “Behind the P.E. shed smoking.” “At the ice-skating rink after school.” “Traveling with the debate team.” “With my boyfriend.” I... Read more
Jesus said that it’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Why is that? Jesus’ statement shocked his disciples. Back in those days, most people assumed that the wealthy had an inside track into God’s presence. After all, prosperity was seen as a sign of God’s blessing. That’s why the disciples were astonished at Jesus statement about rich men and asked in response, “Who,... Read more
Oftentimes the expectations we have for our children have a tendency to come to fruition. With that in mind it is important we have high expectations for our boys. We should strive to have them aspire to greatness. Why not exhort them to aspire to greatness? The rule of thumb in the business world is that employees are only capable at best of living up to about 75% of the expectations that an employer has for them. Why should we... Read more
We all know that discipline is necessary… but how far is too far? CNN News Video shows just how far two parents were willing to go to try to get their daughter’s attention. Parenting isn’t easy. And when our kids act out in rebellion, parenting can become even more difficult. Disciplining is never the popular move. So how should we respond when our kids break the rules, or stray from the guidelines we’ve set? This set of parents decided that... Read more
The story haunts me. A rich young man runs up to Jesus and breathlessly asks, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus doesn’t whip out a parchment with the ancient Aramaic version of “The Four Spiritual Laws.” Nor does he give the man a detailed theological presentation of the Gospel. Instead, he quotes five of the 10 commandments. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not bear false witness. Do not murder. Honor your father... Read more
In most work cultures, an unwritten rule exists that you need to be busy all day long—or at least you need to look busy. Be busy, busy, busy—that’s the expectation. For instance, when I was working as a newspaper reporter, it just wouldn’t have flown in the newsroom if, during the middle of the day, I had lain down on the floor with my arms behind my head and stared at the ceiling for half an hour. But... Read more
Is it just me, or are we seeing less and less “thanks” on Thanksgiving? It seems that with every passing year the fourth Thursday in November has less to do with thankfulness and more to do with consumerism. That trend is most dramatically illustrated in the morphing of the holiday name from “Thanksgiving” into “Turkey Day.” I remember a few years back the first time I heard Thanksgiving referred to as “Turkey Day.”At first, I was taken aback by the... Read more
Fatherless boys tend to follow in the footsteps modeled for them, perpetuating fatherlessness onto future generations. Here is a fairly simple illustration of just one way this manifests itself using very broad generalizations. When boys are raised only by women they grow up learning the communication style of women. They use more words, they speak emotionally, and they tend to chatter or ramble on—giving more details without getting to the point. They communicate in the style of women. This then... Read more
A Few Grown Men
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