Browse the blog posts going back to 2014 – and we also have a Watchwords archive.
- A Grief Experienced (6/5/2016) - Many years ago, as a college dean, I sought to comfort an older student who had witnessed the accidental death of her 7 year-old son. As I stood in line at the funeral home, I wondered what could I possibly say to this grieving mother? In front of me was... Continue reading
- God’s Purpose, God’s Church (4/3/2016) - I’ve been a member of the same men’s Bible study group for over 30 years. During that time someone will, on occasion, raise the question of studying the Book of Revelation? Just this spring we committed ourselves to that study, trying to be thorough, taking one verse at a time,... Continue reading
- Our Verses Rhyme (3/26/2016) - Why do I not deeply grieve? Why am I not inconsolable? Why am I at peace with the passing of my dearly loved wife, just two months ago? Why do I not have a deep sense of emptiness, a constant awareness of a hole in my heart? Why am I... Continue reading
- Annoying Grace? (2/29/2016) - Not long ago, Philip Gulley, author and theologian, spoke in our church on the topic of grace, God’s grace. His talk was engaging, humourous, and filled with both current and ancient examples of grace in action. While I will not quote specifics of Gulley’s talk, I did have a visceral reaction... Continue reading
- Life as It Comes (12/25/2015) - Sir William Gilbert (of Gilbert and Sullivan fame) in his treatise on “Patience” offers this bit of advice: “Life’s a pudding full of plums; Care’s a canker that benumbs, therefore waste our elocution on impossible solution? Let us take it as it comes!” Take it as it comes, bumps, bruises and... Continue reading
- Simple Generosity! (12/18/2015) - Soon a new year will begin, full of hope and opportunities. As my wife and I put a difficult year behind us, our thoughts turn with gratitude to what it really means to be generous, for the giver and receiver. I believe it takes a certain amount of grace to be... Continue reading
- Talking Prayers with My Dog (12/3/2015) - We all go through rough times in our lives, times when it is hard to imagine how to handle a problem, or work through grief, or make an extremely difficult and painful decision. As a much younger man my strategy, often, was to deny or ignore, but, most of the time, I would... Continue reading
- Pray Without Ceasing? (9/7/2015) - Pray without ceasing? Hmm. A number of years ago, I ran a little experiment. I was teaching a course in Adolescent Psychology at a midwest college, and because of circumstances in my life and in the classroom, I decided to explore the power of prayer through a very simple exercise. ... Continue reading
- 10 Days in June (7/12/2015) - Ten Days in June. Ten days, starting with the tragic news of the attack on the Bible Study group at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church, South Carolina and ending with nine funerals. Beyond this terrible tragedy, what touched me was the forgiveness and the grace shown by the families of... Continue reading
- On Being a Veteran (5/8/2015) - I was 18 when I enlisted in the Army. It was just after Christmas that year. It seemed inevitable that my “number” would come up soon and I would be drafted anyway. Besides that, I lost my military deferment when I was academically disqualified from the college I attended (I... Continue reading
- Security (5/3/2015) - Recently, in one of my daily devotionals, I came across this: At the top of the 1,000-foot mountainous peaks of Meteora, Greece, monasteries have been built…hundreds of years ago. Their inaccessible location provides safety and, at the same time, offers them a chance to escape the cares and concerns of... Continue reading
- Smells Like Dirt! (4/8/2015) - I have a son-in-law, Don, who created and operates a nursery that specializes in succulents and other drought-resistant plants. He started the nursery essentially from scratch and with his creativity and energy has elevated it to one of the finest in Southern California. In my periodic visits I have watched... Continue reading
