Every year, one of our staff members sends me the important dates of the year so that we can think about writing blogs that align with the calendar and what people are naturally thinking and going through. You know, major holidays and events like July 4th, Halloween, and 9/11. Every year, Earth Day is included on the list. And every year, I see it and it makes me smile. I remember some of the past Earth Day blogs we’ve done. But... Read more
We face a lot of problems. More than we think, in some ways (less than we think in others). In fact, we face so many problems that just trying to solve them has become a full-time job. Problem solving has become our purpose in life. We are putting out fires, greasing squeaky wheels. Almost everything we do is an attempt to solve a problem, sometimes by preventing it from happening. That being said, the way we approach our problem solving... Read more
The famous verse in The Bible claims that we cannot serve both God and money. But we sure do try. Tax season is a big stresser for a lot of people. The time when the government swallows a big chunk of your paycheck and, sometimes, asks for even more than the steady stream you’ve already had deducted throughout the year. Serving Money We love our money. There is so much that is intoxicating about it. The things it can... Read more
We have a tendency to reach for the lowest hanging fruit. Whatever is easiest, serves us the quickest, or gratifies instantaneously. Shortcuts. Ease. Comfort. Familiarity. This isn’t all bad. We have a limited amount of energy, so following patterns often makes sense. We are built for efficiency. Which is why you can tie your shoe or drive to a frequently-visited location “without even thinking about it”. We develop patterns of speech, behavior, and thought to keep from having to spend... Read more
I was quite the soccer player when I was a teenager, but never got into watching it until recently. Like many new American soccer fans, it really grinds my gears when the players pretend to get fouled, fall to the ground, and roll around in agony as if they have been picked off by a sniper. As a defender, I always assumed the offensive players were doing this with extreme purpose, They were trying to cheat. Soccer gets a bad... Read more
The counselor at the school we work at often encourage staff, faculty, and students to do a self check-in during the day. Just a deep breath and the legitimate question: how am I right now? Take off the mask. No need to perform or fear an imagined future. Just honestly self-assess. I have to confess this is something I don’t do very often. I don’t often take inventory of myself. On the other hand, I am constantly measuring others. I... Read more
It is a bit of a strange coincidence that Easter Weekend and April Fools are so close together. This surely represents the two ways most Americans view the Christian Faith – either as miracle or malarkey. Eternal Truth or the great lie. The key to everything or the extremity of self-deception. The question of whether trusting in God is an issue of the faithful or the foolish depends in large part on where you start from. It is very difficult... Read more
I have seen more and more the misuse of the concept of grace. We too often use it in a condescending way. “They” wronged me but I am showing grace to them. We treat it as if grace is about overlooking a superfluous (or even grievous) offense – taking the high road. It sounds as if we are rabid animals on the brink of exacting a vengeance we are justified in and entitled to. But, by an enormity of our... Read more
As we are heading into the Easter season, we celebrate Passover and Palm Sunday. An interesting combination of events. One is the salvation from death and the other celebrates the entrance of life. As we are stepping toward Easter, the journey is the road from death to life. A road of redemption. There are few things this world needs more than redemption. There are few things I need more. And I am guessing it is the same for you. Redemption,... Read more
I have been working recently on a science fiction novel–the White Whale of my writing career–and it has been the catalyst for a lot of interesting thoughts. A few nights ago, Kylie and I were talking with some other friends about comedians and the way they, at least historically, have been able to say things in their jokes that are hard for people like politicians and pastors to get away with. True things. Comedy is perhaps the harsh and absurd... Read more
Victorious Living
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