“But to all who did receive him, who believed on his name, he gave the right to become the children of God.” – John 1:12 The impact of Christmas is both cosmic, and personal. Jesus was born for all of creation, and he was born for me and for you. In this holy child, God was beginning the greatest work of redemption and healing. This […]
“What do you want?” There are so many different ways to read the words of that question. It can be spoken in the tone of a parent asking a precious child what would bless them, or with the drone of a bored cashier who would rather not be bothered. It is the terse expression of an annoyed coworker, or the heartfelt request of someone who […]
The tech and business world is abuzz with thoughts and comments surrounding Steve Jobs resignation as CEO of Apple Inc. What will happen to the company’s products and services? What impact will this decision have on stock prices, and how will the news affect Wall Street overall? What happens now? What happens next? Whenever significant changes occur in such public ways, there are always many […]
The past two months, I participated in a watercolor painting class. After a little motivation from my wife (including two day classes as a Valentine’s Day gift), I decided to take the next step. It was intimidating, but enjoyable and I learned so many things about painting and about life. I expected to gain some understanding of artistic design, painting tools and watercolor techniques. What […]
I received a note on Facebook yesterday from a young woman we met on our last trip to Brazil. It was great to reconnect after two years. It is wonderful how technology allows us to keep connected over great distance. What struck me most in her note, was her word of thanks for the bag of marshmallows we left with her family. It brought back […]
The church is full of people who want to experience the power of God’s presence in their lives. They love Him and they want to know Him more. Yet many of those people live with an awareness that something is still missing. The key to unlocking that deep relationship with their Savior seems to constantly elude them. “Just what does it take,” they ask, “to […]
My devotional reading for today was based upon Jesus’ words about the harvest. He told his followers that, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray the lord of the harvest that he may send laborers into the harvest.” Reflecting on those words, I penned this prayer: The blessing of abundance is upon us,But who will be there to gather it in?God, send […]
“Frequently when I come to a certain part of ‘Our Father’ or to a petition, I land in such rich thoughts that I leave behind all set prayers. When such rich, good thoughts arrive, then one should leave the other commandments aside and offer room to those thoughts and listen in stillness and for all the world not put up obstructions… I have learned more […]
When I was four years old, I loved when my mom would walk me down to the local shopping plaza. It was not the walk or the shopping that attracted me. Instead, I looked forward to placing my dime into the coin slot that would bring the mechanical horse or boat to life. On a good day, I would actually get a ride on both. […]