Got a place to live, plenty to eat, and people who love you? Maybe you wish you had a nicer place, an unlimited diet, or that person hadn’t hurt you. For now, turn your thoughts away from that. Right now. Do it. Did you do it? There are so many reasons to be thankful....
It’s the most common question asked of recent graduates: “Now what?” It’s a reasonable question and it looks like this: “Are you getting a job?” or “Are you moving up to the next degree level?” Or my favorite, “Are you finally moving out of your parents’ basement?”...
Ever wake up to a soft alarm? The very phrase sounds like an oxymoron. But it starts softly and slowly builds to a point where you have to act on it. You’ve got to get up. It’s like sharing Jesus with people. You have to start gently. You can’t scream “repent” right...
Spring has sprung and the days and nights are even. The temperatures are getting nicer, and people are getting outdoors. Baseball anyone? Just like the turning of the seasons, our lives are changing all the time too. Sometimes they make an obvious shift, like the...
Have a fear of heights? Spiders? Crowds? They’re all fairly common. I find them fascinating. But I’ve developed a unique disorder psychologists perhaps haven’t considered. The fear of Apple. Not the fruit. That’s Malusdomesticaphobia. No, this is far worse. I fear the...
Ever notice when someone says that, it’s often followed by something “religious?” Maybe you believe in a “higher power” or “good vibes.” Perhaps a severed relationship, an illness, or a tragedy has created a bigger perspective. Why did “religion” get such a bad rap?...
Going out of your way to help a co-worker? Patiently listening to a friend drone for minutes without taking a breath? Dropping your own plans again to be there for your kids? Excuse me, but… Your Father is showing. When you offer your truck to help someone move, pick...
Changing phone companies? Hold on to something. This gets bumpy. The phone store. Lois is fine. I’m an alien. They speak a language not taught in school. I was clueless. The atmosphere: weird. Large room, space-age tables covered with display phones, all identical....
When I get older, losing my hair many years from now… The song came out when I was nine. To ever be 64 was way off my radar. Not even the Beatles were 64. Nobody was 64! Nobody except maybe my Grandpa Joe. And Bing Crosby. But not me! I was a kid in the 1960s....
This Is no Hallmark movie. This hurts. You had high hopes for the holiday and something spoiled it. Family conflict. Financial tension. Physical distance. A million things can go wrong. When it happens at Christmas, it’s amplified. And at Christmas it’s all the more...
I want it. Me first. That’s mine. These are phrases we teach kids to avoid, but even we adults have to ward against them. Our go-to mode is “me.” We’re born to protect and promote self. Hopefully over the years we learn to balance it and even put others first. But...
Christmas is almost over. Don’t blink. You’ll miss it. Remember last year? Seems like yesterday. That makes yesterday seem like 5 minutes ago. You see where I’m going. Time is relentless. It just keeps flying by. And the older we get, the faster it flies. Try sixty...
You know who I mean. Those double-standard hypocrites. Those divisive and selfish phonies. If someone would just set them straight! Of course, not us. It’s those other people, right? Yeah. We’re cool. Sure, we have our faults, but at least we’re not as bad as those...
He’s a working Joe. In fact his name is Joe. He’s the guy behind the counter at Jiffy Lube who does the stuff on your car you can’t or don’t want to do. He not only has the technical know-how to change your oil and inspect all the important moving parts you’ve...
Really? Overstocked? When it comes to peace, you might think our culture is anything but. As we look around, there certainly is a shortage of the evidence of peace. But we just haven’t all used the currency available to acquire the peace we all desire. Gratitude. It’s...
One of the best things God can do for you is drive you to your knees. Jesus is so counter-intuitive, so counter-cultural, so counter ME. It took a massive blow to my heart, mind, and soul to get my attention. And it ain’t over yet. In the fall of 2019, a close family...
The days are long, but the years are short. We can easily get lulled into a false sense of dismissive comfort as we bear down on our day to day. Meanwhile, opportunities can pass us by. Opportunities to be with our family, opportunities to travel, and opportunities to...
It was with great anticipation and high hopes we saw The Jesus Music movie, the documentary film about Contemporary Christian Music, from its humble origins in the early 70s in Costa Mesa, Cali., to the multi-billion-dollar industry it is today. We weren’t...
“Cuz I eats me spinach. I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.” My favorite preschool cartoon character was wiser than I knew. As the finish gets closer for all of us, let’s not forget to fight to the finish, to finish strong. The days are long, but the years are short. These few...
“I’m fixing a hole where the rain gets in and stops my mind from wandering where it will go.” Lennon/McCartney I’ve been thinking… There’s a hole in my heart that only God can fill. I’ve heard it a million times. The trick is, while I’ve asked Him into my life, and He...
Imagine a huge clothing store for women. Lois was excited. I was supportive. They had this cool mirror that made me look taller! I got… distracted. Suddenly she’s gone. Vanished! I don’t dare search. I could get sucked into some lingerie area and die of mortification....