I stood in the cold, drizzling rain during the darkest part of the night and watched the weary travelers struggle to make decisions. As their facilitator, I watched and waited with questions running through my head. What did God want to accomplish through this late night hike in the rain? Was there something more I […]
Beloved
Are you beloved? Beloved. Not a word you hear very often. Recently this word has stuck out to me. Usually I gloss right over this word, “beloved.” It seems antiquated; I normally ignore it. Now this word hits me, it stands out, I notice it. It almost interrupts me. Now when I hear or […]
Seasons
If you happen to be planning a move from Southern California to a colder climate, I don’t recommend that you move in winter. But that is how God seemed to be leading us. He was clearly leading us to East Tennessee; and as it turned out, January was the timing that worked. Now, East Tennessee […]
Dying To See Jesus
The last week or so, I have been intrigued by the passage in John 12:20-36. This passage begins when some Greeks, who had come to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover feast, make a request through Phillip, who shared it with Andrew, and together they took it to Jesus. Their request seems relatively simple: “Sir, […]
Death and Resurrection Go Together, Part 2
Editor’s Note: You can read the first part of Death and Resurrection Go Together here. Then Jesus led His disciples to an orchard called “The Oil Press.” He told them, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” He took Peter, Jacob, and John with Him. However, an intense feeling of great sorrow plunged […]
The Branch
As Spring gets into full swing, the days are getting longer. Are you taking advantage of this season to sit outside and listen more? One such morning, a year or so ago, I was enjoying my front porch swing, listening to the mourning doves coo. I observed those delicate birds all sitting on the powerlines […]
In Process
Why don’t you try again? This is the question my pottery teacher asked as my shoulders slumped in a posture of defeat. I looked down at the lump of clay I had been working on for close to 30 minutes. Its shape now indiscernible due to some mistake I had made, but could not identify. […]
