The closing months of the year are a flurry of activity as the weather changes and we progress through a series of holidays. If we are not careful, we can be focused on checking off all of the events while we miss the meaning. Just five days ago, we paused to celebrate Thanksgiving. We gathered with family, friends, and our community to appreciate one another. […]
We always seem to be searching for the extraordinary. There is a sense that we almost crave what is new, different, and more unique. That desire fuels creativity and invention, and pushes us to explore new frontiers. That same desire can lead to pain and destruction, and can cause us to miss the blessings that are already ours. During our recent Adirondack vacation, we decided […]
“Is it worth it?” I continue to ask myself. Getting up early is not easy for me, but there are some emerging benefits that are making me rethink my plans and priorities. As I mentioned in my previous post, my schedule has seen a lot of transition recently, that led to more early morning time for devotion and prayer. In the brief time since these […]
“Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.” – Isaiah 55:2 I’ve read Isaiah 55 numerous times and even reflected on the blessings God gives to those who seek him. Earlier this week, however, as I read through this […]
Tuesday was one of the better Valentine’s Days I’ve experienced. We did not make any real plans due to a busy schedule, but we celebrated that we would be able to spend most of the day together which is always a blessing. After teaching a class and completing the work in my morning office hours, I was able to join my wife for a little […]
Autumn’s beauty is upon us, drawing our attention to the wonders of God in the creation that surrounds us. Trees blaze with leaves of red, orange and yellow. Skies capture our vision with drastic shifts between brilliant blues and black foreboding clouds. The smell in the air, the sounds of geese beginning to move away and busyness of birds and squirrels as they make ready […]
Our church is currently in the midst of our annual stewardship program. This is an important part of our life together where we consider what it means to be a steward of all God gives us, and where we encourage each other to embrace more of what the Holy Spirit is asking of us. This is not about “getting people’s money,” instead; we are looking […]
Sometimes, what we want to avoid, can produce fruit we always wanted. The past week was a time of recovery for me following some unexpected dental surgery. What I hoped was a simple extraction came with a little more work and pain than I expected, but thankfully, I am in the final stages of the healing process. While my experiences with dental work were always […]
The past two days, my morning devotional readings were on the subject of encouragement. Specifically, they were focused on the value of being and encourager. At first, I found myself walking away from the readings saying to myself, “That’s nice. It is a good idea to encourage others,” but honestly, I was not very moved by what I read. Little did I know, those readings […]
People often ask, “Why can’t I see God?” My response to that is, “Why aren’t you looking?” God reveals his divine presence all the time and when we open our eyes, we see that the love and grace of God is all around us. Today, I was waiting in the car while my wife picked up a few things at the store that we needed […]