The victory of Jesus and his resurrection is the most important victory in human history. If that's the case, why didn't Jesus throw himself a victory parade right there on the spot? Read on to see what he did instead...
All in The Stuff That Matters
Why I Choose to Follow Jesus
I don’t have any compelling introductory paragraph to offer. I figure the title kind of speaks for itself, so let’s dive straight in:
Why do I choose to follow Jesus?
Well, let’s start this thought exercise at the gym…
Why Now is NOT the Time to Play it Safe
I’ve been chewing on this since March of 2020…
Clearly, I don’t need to go into any details about the recent span of human history we’re living in, so let’s hop right in, shall we?
In a world where everything is about safety, about protection, about playing the odds and having them fall in our favor, I believe now, more than ever, is the time to throw caution to the wind and stop playing it safe.
Against the Rock
In my last post, I proposed a challenge that essentially suggested we pay less attention to the news (man-made stories) and instead spent a bit more time focusing on the rhythms of nature (God-made stories).
How’d that go for you? Did you manage to make it the entire week? (It’s not too late to take the challenge, by the way; there’s no “late penalty” for this one…)
I know for me personally, I was able to greatly reduce my news intake on a daily basis, and instead spent a little more time connecting with God through prayer, Bible time, and just being outside.
Where is your hope?
Well here we are, a few days removed from the election, and no clear-cut winner. Personally, this comes as no surprise – something about 2020 just feels like this is right on par for everything else that’s happened this year.
But as I look around, I notice an interesting phenomenon: I see more people than ever before, genuinely fearful about what will happen if the other side wins.
The Journey of Healing
I hopped on my road bike yesterday for the first time in about a year.
The last time I rode it was shortly before I ruptured my Achilles – an injury that is nearly a year in the recovery process, and still not where I would like it to be.
Now, full disclosure, the picture shown above was taken during my glory days on that bike. She and I (the bike, that is) would travel all over the local roads together, climbing mountains, enjoying views, speeding down descents. That bike and I have enjoyed thousands and thousands of miles of blissful togetherness.
And then, with one loud snap of the Achilles, it all came to a screeching halt.
Does God Even Care?
This weekend, I attended a funeral service for a child who never got the chance to take her first breath. She was near full-term, but never got the chance to meet her parents or her grandparents. She will never get to see a sunrise, experience laughter, or have her feet tickled while she giggles.
Now, I know a common question is: Why would God allow something like this to happen?
It's the Little Things That Matter Most
It’s been one of those mornings. Disrupted is really the only apt descriptor.
It started with waking early, as is my custom, to go to the gym for a light workout.
(I’m in the process of rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles tendon, so my “workout” consists of walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes while being flanked by silver-haired old ladies who like to sprint. I’m not making this up. I think they derive great pleasure from watching a “young” mid-forties man struggle to sustain 3mph on the treadmill. I’m pretty sure it’s the feature story in their afternoon knitting groups.)
But the workouts help set my mindset for the day. I’m doing something to grow, to improve, and to clear the cobwebs that the morning cup of coffee was unable to do.
This morning, however, I walked into the gym to find that the blustering morning winds had knocked out the power and they were sending everyone home.
Wonderful. Disruption #1.
The Legacy of a Champion
I have to admit when I heard the news, I was a bit shocked.
I was sitting in church. Our pastor had mentioned a fascinating interview he had heard with an Israeli political figure who was quoted as saying America’s biggest threat to Israel was its ignorance when it came to knowledge of the Bible. He went on to explain why, but the text message that came in completely distracted me…
“Kobe is dead.”
Death is Not Normal
A few months ago, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of my aunt who died way too soon. Cancer took her life, leaving my uncle devastated in its wake.
Earlier this week, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of a friend who died way too soon. Aggressive brain cancer took her life, leaving her husband and children feeling the depths of her absence.
25 years ago, I attended a funeral celebrating the life of my best friend who died way too soon. Congenital heart disease took his life overnight, leaving friends and family confused and disoriented.
You could fill in your own stories of experiencing loss, of dealing with the death of a loved one, of mourning someone who left the land of the living earlier than expected.
There is something inside each and every one of us that knows, deep inside, that this isn’t the way things ought to be.