The East Side of the Jordan
Not too long ago, while sitting in the choir loft during a sermon, I followed a thought along a rabbit trail that led me to Numbers chapter 33. (Sorry, Pastor).
Titled "Stages in Israel's Journey," this passage captures Israel's rest stops on their trek out of Egypt to the Promised Land. It basically reads, "The Israelites left this city . . .
Posted in: #grief#leadership#ministry#relationships
New to You
...new to me ...new to us
Over the last year, my wife and I have gotten spoiled by the convenience of online ordering and grocery pick up. However, when there were no open slots available over a recent weekend, we jokingly lamented our first-world problem and made a Saturday evening trek to Walmart.
After our shopping excursion, the sea of little white plastic . . .
Posted in: #hope#relationships#workplace
Horrible, Candle-Snuffing Words
Recently on a quiet Friday evening, I pulled out a DVD of one of my favorite movies. Near the beginning of "Finding Neverland," the playwright, J.M. Barrie meets a jaded young boy named Peter. Unimpressed with Mr. Barrie's vivid imagination, young Peter remains aloof. And when the playwright suggests that his dog, Porthos, be a bear in a . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#hope#relationships
Drop It
A number of years ago, a worship team with whom I was rehearsing seemed to hit a mental roadblock. And while I thought I was being extremely clear in expressing what I wanted to happen in a particular section of a song, this group of skilled musicians just could not get it.
Each time we missed the mark on what I had musically intended, I . . .
Posted in: #leadership#peace#relationships#worship
Untangled
Recently I downloaded a video game onto my phone called Tangle Master 3D. Each round begins with multi-colored pieces of intertwined rope that you have to untangle in as few moves as possible. As you navigate each level, the snarls become increasingly complex both in the number of ropes tangled and in the intricacy of the knot.
One . . .
Posted in: #assurance#hope#relationships
It is What it Is...
but what if it's not?
One phrase that I have allowed to slip into my conversational vocabulary is, "Well, it is what it is." Usually, it's accompanied by a resigned sigh and an implied, "Suck it up, buttercup."
It makes sense, then, that as I pondered the account of Jairus in Mark 5, this emotionally acquiesced phrase bubbled to the surface. In the unfolding . . .
A Champion of Encouragement
Recently, I came across a video on my Twitter feed from a friend whose son had finished treatment at a children’s hospital. Having known of this precious one since he was very small, my heart was moved as I watched this now little boy pass under a “You are a Hero” sign and confidently walk down a hallway lined with wildly . . .
Posted in: #encouragingothers#relationships#workplace
