Most Americans claim a faith. Most bury it, under the anonymity of a “private” faith. We just don’t talk about it. There’s a variety of reasons why, but one is the fear of falling into the ranks of hypocrisy. We want our actions to match our words.We have all seen the those who stand on the pedestal and shout their faith without any regard to how their actions relate. How many of these vocal believers have poor workplace habits, shaky... Read more
“What’s the difference between ignorance and apathy? ”“I don’t know and I don’t care. — Mother Goose and Grimm“I, the devil, will always see to it that there are bad people. Your job, my dear Wormwood, is to provide me with the people who do not care.” — The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis As much as we would like to say we care about the world around us, our actions tell us otherwise. Photo by Vinetomato Despite our verbal fervor for all things right... Read more
You’ve always dreamt about a big idea. Perhaps it’s small to everyone else, but to you, it’s a ginormous obstacle that you just can’t get over. You may be afraid, which is natural. Afraid of criticism. Afraid of failure. Afraid you just don’t have what it takes. And you’re full of excuses, which means you’ll never have a chance to succeed — or fail. So you go through your whole life wondering, waiting, hoping. But nothing gets done because you never pull the trigger,... Read more
What an amazing national phenomena is Tim Tebow. The young, outspoken quarterback for the Denver Broncos is quieting his critics with solid play, humility and good nature. Something he does before and after each game, is to drop to single knee and pray. He doesn’t do it to gain attention, or to impress anyone. He does it just to acknowledge Who he plays for. And now, people all across the world are emulating him with a movement called, Tebowing. It’s loosely defined... Read more
The idea of pure love among people is a tough concept. It seems as if every relationship comes with strings — those things from the past that we use to manipulate and control those closest to us. It might have been be a conversation, a harsh word or an action done out of haste — or just stupidity. It might have been an act of volition, or insensitivity or vengeance. Whatever it is, the dirty past is a useful tool to... Read more
Flinch.Duck.Pull back your hand These are all natural reactions to the threat of pain. No one wants to be hurt. So we avoid pain.. We deflect it. We ignore it. We mask it. Pain is nothing new – it got its start in the Garden of Eden. Photo by Scott Doolittle, used with permission The serpent was cursed to crawl along ground, dragging its belly on the shards of stone.The woman was cursed, “multiplying your pain in childbearing.”And the man had to till a cursed ground, “in pain you... Read more
He’s half my age and plays a game for a living, but I’m learning a valuable lesson from Tim Tebow, the new starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos. You don’ t have to be a football fan to appreciate Tebow — or the message of this post. So, please read on. In case you haven’t heard, the big news in the sporting world is that Tim Tebow is going to start as quarterback for the Denver Broncos this Sunday against Miami. In... Read more
Last week I saw them at the Capitol building. They were shaking their signs at some unknown person. Or persons. The signs condemned greed, and capitalism and corporations. Big banks. Big business. Big government. Some made a lot of sense. Some were just crazy. And then there was one. “Jesus would have been here.” I don’t know what to think. I know our country is full of problems, and there are no clear answers. A Washington Post poll today shows that 78 percent... Read more
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I got my Sear’s Christmas catalog in the mail yesterday. Santa was on the cover. It was a reminder that the consumptive push is coming. It’s bad enough that on the average day, you and I will be faced with an onslaught of an estimated 200 commercial advertisements. And that number is rising as marketers commandeer the sides of school buses, stadiums and movie theaters. I opened the pages of the newspaper today and a dozen ads fell out of the center. Rich in... Read more
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