Don’t miss this moment

Last updated on: September 16, 2013 at 9:26 pm By David Rupert

Life is total time continuum. The 70 years or so that I’ll live make up the sum of my days. But what marks life as important are really just a few moments in time. A first kiss. The first glance at an ocean overlook. A high school diploma. A baby’s first breath. A daughter at the end of aisle. We can all remember those singular seconds that changed our lives, that directed our future. There are other moments, singular minutes that should have meant something, but they passed me by because I was busy, or distracted, or disinterested. By the missing the moment, I missed the opportunity Read more

Is a private faith a real faith?

Last updated on: September 4, 2013 at 5:43 am By David Rupert

Christians are in a quandary. We know the divine imperative to live out our faith. We know that living out our faith involves talking about our faith. We know something is not right about hiding who we are. We display cozy spiritual things like rainbows and angels. We talk about helping the poor, or social justice, or giving blood and think that good works will suffice. But they fall short, because they don’t do a thing to help the human condition of those around us. In fact, I struggle with the sneaky approach. It’s like wrapping a large dog pill in a piece of bacon just so he'll gobble it down. Read more

How real is your fear of failure?

Last updated on: August 28, 2013 at 7:11 am By David Rupert

Our learned fears come from letting someone down at some point, of not living up to lofty expectations of a coach, a parent, or a teacher. It comes at the hand of imperfect man or woman living in a narrowly defined world of rules and regulations. It comes from letting myself down. Read more

Taking a rest from knowing it all

Last updated on: August 22, 2013 at 5:30 am By David Rupert

ll of this access to knowledge really hasn’t made society any smarter. We’re still blundering down the same paths of destruction. The mere ability to call up information does little to showcase human intelligence. We still make the same mistakes. Read more

Going out in style

Last updated on: August 20, 2013 at 8:59 am By David Rupert

If I were faced with Alzheimer’s, or another debilitating disease, would I be able to look into the eyes of my loved ones and tell them I would be "strong?" Or would I wilt with the certainty of the diagnosis? Glen Campbell's last and final album is filled with hope and encouragement. Read more

The Long View: Why Men Often Don’t Think Like Women

Last updated on: August 16, 2013 at 5:30 am By David Rupert

To pick a goal, a desire, or a destiny and to focus on it might seem a cop-out, but it keeps us afloat through rough waters. It keeps us from helplessly leaning over the side of the boat. That’s the way of the ancient mariners, who sought out landmarks, lighthouses, and distant stars to lead them. That’s the way of the prophets and the fathers of the faith, who spoke of promised lands and kingdom comes. Tomorrow comes to us easier than today. I can’t explain it, but this is the way of men. Read more

Getting naked with your friends

Last updated on: August 14, 2013 at 6:21 am By David Rupert

Getting naked with our friends has nothing to do with clothes and everything about growth. If you fear exposure, the best thing you can do is start telling the truth – right now. Find a small group of like-minded people. This may take some work. You may have to go outside the lines drawn by your church, your skin color, your social class, your age. Read more

Living Large (in a Shrinking World)

Last updated on: August 7, 2013 at 5:24 am By David Rupert

ich people are lonely. I've seen it while I lived as a pauper in one of the most affluent communities in the nation. I heard and saw it all. Parties. Purchases. Plans. These people often substituted busyness for importance. And at night, like the rest of us, they still look in the mirror and the hollowness mocked them. Read more

When Summer Vacation Plans Go Wrong

Last updated on: August 5, 2013 at 5:30 am By David Rupert

We’ve had our own plans go awry; Trips to the emergency rooms, flat tires on remote highways, and sleeping in the car because someone forgot to make reservations. There’s big risk in summer plans. Maybe that’s half the fun, but I'm sticking close to home this year and leaving the adventures to others. Read more

Tell the truth: What Wonder Woman–and God–Really Want

Last updated on: July 31, 2013 at 2:51 pm By David Rupert

God posed a question to Adam in the garden. “Where are you, Adam,” after he and Eve had taken a bite more than they could chew. Hiding in the trees, naked, ashamed and afraid, God knew exactly where they were. He knew what they had done. He knew the consequences. And still, He asked. I need to tell the truth, because he knows. Read more

What does "Shema" mean in Hebrew?