He Is Good
Are you carrying a heavy weight on your shoulders today? Worries, fears, and anxieties tend to build up like a 60Ib military rucksack. The dead weight can crash down onto our hearts in the morning and smack us in the brain at evening.
Perhaps the burgeoning news of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has led you into downright panic?
You can feel your heart beating out of your chest. . . .
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Grace in the Contrasts
Fair-weather forecasters (probably not born and bred in Michigan) are saying this weekend is going to be chilly and drippy. But we know better, don’t we? As the northern winds and mist blow across our Mitten State a golden opportunity arises. A brief seasonal moment must be seized within a matter of days.
Of what do I speak? . . .
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Practice produces Progress
On our first try, should could barely get the arrows set on the string and they were flying all around the target and up into the trees. But after our third attempt at the range, she was landing those arrows into the target every time. Whap!
Progress!
Spiritual growth – progress forward as a Jesus-follower – doesn’t happen by a passive drip-process of reverse osmosis…
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I’m Blessed With Iron
Today, I’m reminded of two men much wiser and further down the trail of life, who’ve taken time to invest in me. One up close. The other far away. They’ve asked me heart-level questions and remarkably remembered specific details about my life and ministry. The one nearby knows me much better than the other. But they both have deeply impacted my heart and mindset about pastoral ministry. . .
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Living “The Good Life”
“I’m living ‘the good life’!” someone remarked to me several months ago.
With a big smile, they proceeded to share with me how they were reveling in a windfall of financial freedom, extra time, good health, and frequent vacations. I was genuinely happy for them. Enjoying life isn’t bad. I’m not ready to hit people on the head with a Puritanical mallet, nor is God a cosmic kill-joy. . . .
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Remember When…?
Without fail, at least half of our conversations begin with, “Hey do you remember when…?”
Laughter ensues as we retell our perspectives on the crazy trip to Washington, D.C., the cross-state cycling journey, our evangelistic efforts in downtown Flint, or the campout in the dead of winter. We look back with fond memories, but also some wise evaluation of how we’ve ended up where we are now. We reflect on some regrets and discuss how we’d like to plan for the future. Most importantly, as we remember the experiences, choices, and outcomes of our youth, the conversation moves toward the grace and power of God. . .
