Working Through the Messiness of Relationships

"I may lose my relationship with you over this," I said, "but I am willing to risk it.  It is my job to protect you and I have made my decision." I sat on the floor facing my daughter. She sat glaring at me. I was so mad, I swore. I was drawing a line in the …

Help, I Need a Translator!

I struggle with words. Sometimes, I stutter. Other times, I just can't remember the word I want to use. And even worse, I will be talking when all of a sudden I won't be able to pronounce a word. Try as I might, I just cannot say it properly. My family enjoys my handicap. They …

Bananas, Beans and Chinese Handcuffs

A few days ago, I had the privilege to spend the day visiting house churches in the mountains of El Salvador near Tepecoyo. At one of the homes, I met a handsome young man of about nine years his name was Juan (not really). His family's house had a no flooring and they cooked over an …

Rebuilding – Weathering the Storm, pt 4

Following Hurricane Michael many people in the Florida Panhandle, found themselves homeless, jobless, afraid, alone, emotionally wrecked and hopeless. Storms of life can leave people with similar experiences. Like disaster relief organizations are to the people in a physical storm, the church can provide immediate and long term help with recovery and rebuilding for those …

Debriefing Life

The other day, my eldest son called me. He was having a difficult time with a friend. I will spare you the details. As we talked it became clear, my son valued the friendship to the point he was willing to forgive all. This was a huge opportunity for my son to grow in an …

God Prescribes Compassion

I believe Jesus was always a crowd favorite at parties. Not just because He could turn water into wine. Though that would be a great benefit of any party guest. I believe He was great at parties, because Jesus generally loved people. He was also dangerous. He would call you out if you showed favoritism …

Bob & Phyllis

I love my mom and dad. They are great people who are loved by so many in the community where I grew up. But I have found the rest of the world knows nothing about them. Dad retired as the Board Chairman and the CEO of one of the largest Hoosier owned banks in Indiana. …

I Double Dog Dare You!

I believe the enemy has pulled one of the greatest stunts of history over on humanity. It is the sisification of the church. I know that I am not alone nor the first to recognize and write about the this issue. However, I let me define sisification: Sisification is the movement of a culture to eliminate …

Preparing for a Miracle

One of the first teaching moments for me, after becoming a follower of Jesus, was a chapel service at Taylor University. The speaker that day was Dr. Tony Evans. I can't remember a single thing he said, but a lady sang a song that has stuck with me. In the song there was a line, …

Live Up (Secret to a Joy Filled Life, pt 6)

I love talking with immigrants. They love the USA. They love the freedom, opportunity and acceptance. They have come here and are working hard to become naturalized citizens. Their work ethic and patriotism warm my heart. I recently read this, "US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said, 'The only title in our democracy superior to …