Like many of you, I have spent some portions of my life feeling…left out. I don’t care how successful you are, there are times when you think life is passing you by and no one cares. Now, don’t mistake the following as a “pity piece.” It isn’t. But it is a slice of reality – and of hope — to those who might just need to find a sliver of hope in my story. I wasn’t an athlete, and for any boy getting... Read more
The current trend to white-out God from society has reached a new level of absurdity. It has to do with “A.D.” Every New Year, we christen the date with “Anno Domini” in Latin or “the year of the Lord” in English. Secularists want to replace A.D. with CE, which stands for stands for “Common Era.” CE and AD have the same and value. 2010 CE = 2010 A.D. The word “common” simply means that it is based on the most... Read more
We all have a perfect plan for our lives that we’ve developed over time. Our fantasy is an idyllic world that we have constructed in our minds. Filled with images of beautiful families in beautiful homes in beautiful locations, we have arranged just the ideal life. For me, it was to go to college, write books, have a happy family and live in a remote mountain retreat. Something went awry with that plan. I dropped out of college, wrote books... Read more
Have you ever looked around and wondered, “How did I get here?” I’ve been there. Somehow, the tides of life swept me off course and my destination seemed so distant. Perhaps it was because of my inattention to the controls, a lack of focus, or my own disobedience. But in any case, I didn’t want to be “here,” I wanted to be “there.” It’s a sad experience to look back at that time of wonder and desire, when I had a... Read more
The church has gone to great contortions in the last 30 years to adapt, to change, and to become more relevant to the world. Hymns? Gone Steeples? Gone. Denominational names? Gone. Tradition? Gone. We allowed for these and a thousand other changes so as not to alienate the world. We so desperately wanted to embrace and relate to the culture. Paul stood on Mars Hill and preached to the heathen masses, even using their statue “to an unknown God” as... Read more
Tomorrow is Mother’s Day. Before I go much further, “Mom, I love you.” And I have great respect the mother of my children and all the other women out there who gave birth to us, nurtured us and breathed God’s gifts into our souls. But, something has always bothered me this time of year. Churches seem to have adopted Mother’s Day as another High Holy Day. Every pastor it seems is obligated to preach a message to men and children... Read more
Do you remember how you landed your last job? For me, it was a process marked by cautious optimism, fueled by trust in Someone who had my best interests in mind. I fretted over my resume and application, making sure everything was perfect. I sealed the envelope, stamped it and then laid my hands on it and earnestly prayed. “God, bless this effort.” A few weeks later, the thrilling call for an interview came in. More preparation and prayers followed.... Read more
What are we afraid of? The modern mantra is that the workplace should be “inclusive.” We have heard repeatedly that America’s “strength is its diversity.” However, in the rush to purge racism and prejudice from our world, faith, normal opinion and discourse are unwittingly muzzled. Who would have guessed that religious discussion would one day be labeled hate speech? Surely our forefathers would have objected. They firmly believed in the power of the public square of discussion. The founders of our... Read more
A strange dichotomy exists all around us. The vast majority of Americans claim to know Jesus. But they call themselves “spiritual.” They have a visage of a Savior who has good moral teachings. He might have even come to them in a moment of personal trial to lift them up. To them, he’s an olive-skinned Galileen who slept in a manager, dressed in a robe, and got treated badly by the Romans. They might even go to church, claim to be... Read more
I work in the world of public affairs. There is much debate in our circles about “spin” versus “telling the truth.” Those who spin try to extract the one shred of good news to soften the bad news. “Sure our vehicles don’t always brake properly, but the good news is that when you do slam into the car in front you, our airbags and safety restraints are industry leaders.” “I understand that our mine collapsed, but we have great promotional opportunities... Read more
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