I discovered the writing of Gerald Sittser over Christmas break.  Sittser's A Grace Disguised is very, very thoughtful.  In 1991, Sittser lost his mother, his wife and his daughter in an accident when the van they were traveling in was hit by a drunk driver.  Through that loss, Sittser hung in there and, in time, discovered whatContinue reading "Grace comes in surprising ways"

Check out Questions Jesus Asked by Joel Giallanza.  Jesus asked scores of questions of people.  Many are recorded in the the Gospels.  The questions I most hear from Jesus are, "Who do you say that I am?" "Do you love me?" and "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' but then not do what I say?"TheContinue reading "The questions of Jesus"

We do our best as husbands, fathers, wives, mothers, brothers, sisters, pastors, workers, and  volunteers.  We say God only wants our best.  "Give of your best to master, give of the strength of your youth" was the line of the hymn I sang as a kid.  I don't doubt the words of that hymn thatContinue reading "O the beautiful Grace of God"

Do you ever talk with people who you know are telling you too much?  You realize, "This is none of my business."Craig Groeschel from the influential LifeChurch.tv gives pastors these thoughts about what they should say from the pulpit.*Everything you say must be true. But everything that is true doesn’t need to be said.*If youContinue reading "What should you say?"

Peter Kreeft puts out new books the way I eat peanut M & Ms ... effortlessly.  I just spent 2 hours  reading before i go -- letters to Our Children about Really Matters.  It's 161  short chapters -- little gems of wisdom -- to his four adult children from one of the finest thinkers inContinue reading "What Really Matters"

If you've ever been to this majestic range, you recognize it instantly.  These mountains are the Tetons, and this picture taken in Grand Teton National Park in northwestern Wyoming shows the Snake River meandering along east of the Tetons.  They are way more breathtaking than this picture depicts!I've been to to Grand Teton National ParkContinue reading "God is our rock, the most high our redeemer"

I have returned from a trip to Mazatlan, Mexico, where a  team from the Champaign-Urbana Vineyard Church spent time working with the good folks who help run Vineyard Ministries Central Mexico.In the picture a crew of our folks put a basic roof on a precarious structure that had been been using a tarp as aContinue reading "Mazatlan trip"

Here are two of my favorite sites for my Bible reading and reading... Sacred SpaceThe Daily Office