To all those who labor, and struggle in life, may you find rest this Labor Day. I always play this song on Labor Day. It’s a happy song of restoration. It’s a celebration of work and of life. By The Call, whose prolific leader Michael Been recently passed away, these lyrics speak to all of us with resounding hope. Here’s to the babies in a brand new worldHere’s to the beauty of the starsHere’s to the travelers of the open... Read more
There’s a folder in my desk stuffed with letters – some 40 years old or more. Despite the passage of time, the handwritten swirls of ink from friends and family continue to inject wit, understanding and love. Within these folded pages are the annals of people who make an impact in my life. Photo by Marcy Earley In these days of e-mails, status updates and tweets, we have lost the meaning of the letter. The impersonal world of the instantaneous leaves us... Read more
My grandfather lived just a couple of miles from Coloma, California where James Marshall discovered gold and led to great rush of 1849. I remember riding my bike along the riverbanks where the nuggets first settled in Marshall’s pan, making a poor man instantly rich. Thousands of people descended upon the region, arriving with the expectation – not the hope – of striking it rich and becoming wealthy. Ironically, it wasn’t the miners who generally struck it rich – it was the men who... Read more
It’s almost old news now, but I can’t seem to shake the image of Jet Bue flight attendant Steven Slater exploding in anger, screaming profanities, and with a final, “I can’t take this anymore,” slid out the emergency exit on the JFK tarmac. Whoa! First of all, anyone who quits a job in this economy is not thinking straight. Certainly, there are thousands of other flight attendants who are doing just fine and would never think to quit. But there... Read more
(I was honored to have the following article recently published by my friend Brad at Marketplace Christianity. The blog has a great ministry focus and Brad’s outlook is unique. Check his blog out here and visit often!) My dresser is probably not unlike yours. It has drawers on two sides, every one of them packed full of clothing. I have a drawer for my socks, another for my shorts and another for my pants. Shirts and underwear have their own places. Everything... Read more
If the Earth’s population shrank to exactly 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, what would we be left with? 57 of those people would be from Asia.21 would be from Europe.8 would be from Africa.14 would be from the Western Hemisphere.50 percent of the wealthy would belong to only six people70 people would be unable to read1 person would have a college education Which of these statistics surprised you? Comment here. Please, share with a friend... Read more
Today, Brad Harmon from Marketplace Christianity and I are trading posts with other. Brad is the founder and editor for Marketplace Christianity. A former certified public accountant, he now spends his time blogging, speaking, and consulting on ways to bring our faith into the marketplace. We are both writing on how to apply Matt 13:44 in the workplace. I’m honored to have my post on his website, found here. Bradley’s excellent post follows below. One of my favorite television shows is... Read more
“Self-knowledge is so critically important to us in our pursuit of God and His righteousness that we lie under heavy obligation to do immediately whatever is necessary to remove the disguise and permit our real selves to be known.” — A.W. Tozer Last week’s post, The Tattletale, generated some discussion among friends, especially the line, “Everytime I open my wallet, write a check, or swipe my credit card, it’s a revelation of who I really am.” We asked the questions:Does... Read more
It’s always an interesting procession at the end of the movie to watch people rise from their seats almost immediately after “The End” splashes on the screen. They miss the credits – the people who made the movie happen. Maybe it’s just me, but I watch the credits. It’s intriguing to watch who the ‘grips’ there were and who did provided the catering. Just who was the “Man at the gas station”? Who provided the wedding cake? Sometimes there are “stingers”... Read more
We all think we’re so clever. We have a public self. That’s the person that comes out at work, at school, or at church. That’s the person we show our kids and neighbors, our spouses and our friends. We work very hard to create that person. And then we have a private self. That’s the real me. The inner-man who’s heart is so full of confusion, selfishness and hidden desires. I keep that self hidden from others, often even from my... Read more
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