At some point, we must let go. Let go of the lies that once overpowered us. Let go of the wounds that once defined us. We must call ourselves by a new name. We must choose to live a new way. We must choose to believe the God who rescued us and learn to walk in that belief. You are either a victim of the world or a victor in Christ. You cannot be both. Read more
Their fathers and grandfathers tell their stories, passed on from the generations. Some of the battles are still fresh, shrapnel embedded in doorframes and rubble still in the alleyways. Read more
Much of the U.S. is smothered in smoke. There are some 80 fires ablaze across many Western States, but the two largest – The Dixie Fire in California and the Bootleg Fire in Oregon have combined to burn almost a million acres. People as far as Kentucky, Minnesota, Nashville, and even Boston – and many other locations are reporting hazy conditions. I’m in Colorado, 1,100 miles away, and I cannot see the hill just across the way. On Saturday, Denver... Read more
To live and speak everything without complaint or argument punctures a hole in the Bad Ship Lollipop. It sinks the comfortable, negative world. It suddenly changes the world view away from me and my cranky attitude. Read more
There are at least two thousand known phobias. From Novercaphobia (fear of your step-mother) to Pogonophobia (fear of beards) to Syngenesophobia ( fear of relatives,) there’s a named fear for nearly everything in our lives. But for babies, there are really only two measured fears – fear of falling and a fear of loud noises. Everything after that point is learned. After a stint in my crawl space and another in the attic, I found my fear. Stenophobia, a fear of... Read more
When I was a teen, I worked at a local restaurant as a busboy. It was my job to splash water in tall glasses for each new table, carry plates out for the waitresses and set the tables after each party finished eating. It was hard, honest work and I used the money to fuel my car and fund my pizza habit. I loved the work and the interaction with both staff and customers. Things changed when the boss gave... Read more
If we were super humans with cloaking power and extraordinary strength, we would rely on those powers to get us through. I've been there, relying on my wit, or my brains, or my cleverness to get my through life. And then the pot breaks and I realize I'm not such a hot commodity. We are full of divinity, wrapped in fragility. Brokenness is not an indictment. It's currency. Read more
These are interesting times and the days will grow more evil. Rather than merely tolerating Christians and their "eccentrics", our beliefs are now open game for hostility, confrontation, and ostracization. Jesus said these days would come. He told us to remain devoted to one another in love, to do right in a world committed to wrong, and to be bold. Read more
I believe God is calling his leaders to roar. This is the moment of a generation for leaders to rise up and speak. If there is tyranny, then we need prophets. If there is a need for healing, then we need physicians. If there is a need for reconciliation, we need peacemakers. This is our time to stand and be lions. Read more
Retrospect is a human luxury. It’s great to remember the good, the joyous journey of the past. But it also serves as a painful, backwards glance at what-could-have-been, should-have-been. When I look back at some of the decisions I’ve made regarding relationships, actions, and spoken words, I have to wonder, “What was I thinking?” I admit there are times when I wonder what my life would have been like without those stupid, silly, and often sinful decisions. The rear-view mirror... Read more
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