They were amazing words, echoing across the sheep-filled grasses, a billion blinking stars danced in approval “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Flikr Photo by galibert olivier Still, the shepherds trembled. And the words of reassurance came from the angel. “Fear not.” It was a common theme in preparation for the baby’s birth. When Zacharias was in the temple, he heard “Fear Not.” When the angel appeared to... Read more
My life isn’t really all that deliberate. In fact, most of my blessings I have just stumbled into. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve looked at my good things in my life and wondered, “how in the world did I get here?” I’m not educated, nor am I gifted or rich. I just got a great job promotion that I’m not convinced I totally earned. I have relationships that have changed my life, people that I never sought out. I just found... Read more
Image via Wikipedia Listen to the radio and you’ll hear Elvis croon his Christmas classic. “I’ll have a blue Christmas without you.” Nancy Fransen, who blogs at Out of My Alleged Mind, wrote about the loss of her father, and the wistfulness of her mother this time of year. In her post, “You can dance if you want,” she reflected on the Elvis classic song, Blue Christmas, and her general disdain for it. It makes her mother cry. While there is... Read more
I took one my mother’s shovels and worked diligently for a week after school in the empty lot across the street. I was on a treasure hunt, certain I would find enough money for a new bike or maybe enough to help the family with our rent. Digging, sifting, turning of piles of dirt yielded little but old bottle caps, nails, and twisted metal. I did find an old bone, and took it home excited that I had found a... Read more
It’s my great privilege to feature a few bloggers from the High Calling network of nearly 1,800 members.. You’re going to enjoy these great voices from all around the world. Christine Sine at GodSpace always writes about provocative subjects that make me think And her post, I Believe in Jesus … Or Do I?, doesn’t disappoint. She’s writing about the Advent season and how we should prepare. “At no other time of the year are the forces of the secular culture more at odds with... Read more
When you’re a hammer, every problem looks like a nail Read more
Finish Well Is it too late to make a difference? What used to be Follow in your father’s footsteps Lived within 5-10 miles of birthplace 30-35 years work Relative poverty Die 50-55 ASK – GRANDFATHERS – occupation, when died Today New careers – opportunities Travel – movement 40-55 ears work Relative wealth Die 70-75 The bottom line Bottom line – more time, more work, more money “With great power, comes great... Read more
He was called a bastard son. It was outrageous really. His mother was just a young teen. The father was much older and there hadn’t been a marriage. The tongues wagged, clicking at the impropriety. And the angel story really was a stretch. The baby’s lineage wasn’t much better. It was filled with incredible scandal. Instead of a lush family tree, with lovely branches and perfect leaves, it was crooked. Go back a few generations and you’d find murder, adultuery, debaucherou... Read more
The Black Friday deaths last week were sad commentaries on our society. People died because we needed our stuff. They were crushed because of our greed, our consumption and worship of the idol of self. Our culture values material things over people, and those that died were casualtities of our way of life. We are concerned about gay marriage, the breakdown of the family, and the rise of naked atheism. We preach against them, stand against them and gather forces... Read more
During the Iraq Gulf War, reporters were granted a unique, first hand glimpse of the battle. During the “shock and awe” of the initial raid in Iraq and march toward Bagdad, television was never so honest. This was reality TV. As invited guests of the Pentagon, these reporters were embedded in units of every type. Every service was represented and, by and large, the reporting was accurate. It was real. Sometimes I feel like I’m embedded in this world. Sent as an emissary to my cubicle, my... Read more
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