Since the summer of 2021, God has been speaking to me about our pace of life here in America, even within the church. Virtually everyone I talk with shares in one way or another, how busy they are and how little margin there is in their lives when the unexpected happens. This was generally the case before Covid and the pandemic ...
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I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:12) The world most of us grew up in is gone. It’s hard to fathom how quickly it happened but it did happen. We long for a sense of normalcy to be restored but our ...
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Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced its fruit. (James 5:17-18) It’s amazing to contemplate, isn’t it? James ...
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Like many of you, I have been listening to others discuss what they believe life is going to be like once we have passed through the immediate crisis created by the COVID 19 virus. Opinions abound, and they vary widely, with some emphasizing the negative impact while others focus on the opportunities the changes will create. The only ...
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“If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31-32) In these words of Jesus, recorded for us by the apostle John, we find one of the key ingredients to experiencing the abundant life Jesus died to give us. Jesus says if we ...
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In my preparations for the Revive event, I was reflecting on some of what God has been doing over the past 12 months, and more broadly my past 11 years here in Omaha. It’s been an amazing journey in so many ways and I am truly grateful for the life transformation that we have experienced together. God has revealed truth, ...
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This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. (1 Timothy 1:18-19) How long has it been since God’s Word has ...
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December 1, 2019, is the first Sunday in Advent, a season of expectation and waiting. Most of us enjoy the expectation part, looking forward to the promised return of Jesus the Messiah. It is not hard to let one’s imagination go trying to anticipate what it will be like when Jesus returns to earth at the end of ...
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While leading one of our Doorway to Discovery retreats this past weekend, God surprised me with a general warning that I think we all need to be aware of. It isn’t that we have already, necessarily, been guilty of this violation, its just that we are all susceptible to it because it often operates in our blind spots. The ...
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The human heart is an interesting study. Understanding our own is a challenging pursuit and rightly discerning what is really going on in our heart generally comes by way of revelation by the Holy Spirit. Human pride, the fountainhead of many of our sins, is always lurking in the background looking for ways to establish ...
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A few days ago, I had the opportunity to connect with an old friend, someone I have known for over 30 years. We used to see each other regularly when we both lived in Minnesota but he moved to a warmer climate for health reasons and I went to Nebraska for a new ministry assignment. We continued to communicate periodically, ...
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Like many people, I used to be afraid of public speaking. I could speak without fear one-on-one or in small groups but the thought of being upfront in a group of people, even a relatively small group of people, was terrifying. This fear was so strong in me that even as I went through my college and seminary experience, I told myself ...
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In the spring of 2018, I began to notice that my lower back was sore all the time. This seemed a little bit unusual but Barb and I were doing lots of landscaping work in the yard. We were moving dirt, laying landscaping stones and putting down mulch which all required lots of lifting and bending. The pain, while more intense and ...
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One of the best investments I made in my life was the time, energy and money it took to learn to study the Bible. Soon after I made my adult recommitment of faith, I spent several years developing a personal approach to studying Scripture that reflected its essential nature as the inspired, authoritative Word of God. In those years, ...
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Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it. - (Isaiah 43:19a) On a recent trip to Nashville, TN I was listening to a prophetic minister by the name of David Wagner. It was a gathering of Restoring the Foundations leaders from around the country and he was reminding us of the ...
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Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you (Joshua 3:5) I have for many years been both comforted and challenged by the book of Joshua. Using our imaginations, we can put ourselves into Joshua’s life story and feel the weight that is upon him as he is tasked by the Lord to lead the people of Israel into ...
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In September of 2018, I wrote an article on the importance of our paying attention to the seasons and stages of our lives. It is critical that we understand what God is doing around us generally and where we are at in life currently. Knowing these realities helps us respond appropriately to the events and opportunities God provides ...
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2 Timothy 2:15 - Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. Over the last 6 months God has driven home for me our need to remain teachable, especially in areas where we believe we believe we have learned everything there is to learn. Last ...
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Matthew 18:21-35 Every follower of Jesus Christ has experienced the power of forgiveness. They know the transforming energy that comes with knowing they have been forgiven of their many sins, have been cleansed and restored to a right relationship with God. The clear teaching of Scripture is that we who have experienced the ...
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Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life (Proverbs 4:23) In about 400 BC it was Socrates who first said, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” It was spoken by him at his trial where he was charged with corrupting the youth of his day and his refusal to acknowledge the gods of ...
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In our Transforming Together meeting this month we looked at the power of words, words we believe and words we say. Speaking is such a normal part of our daily experience it is easy to grow complacent in monitoring our speech, though we know it is critically important to our experience of life. Equally as important is the condition ...
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“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why?” -Mark Twain The Bible records for us God’s salvation history of humankind and it is primarily His story, God’s sovereign activity unfolding in and through His people. The story ...
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On March 10, 1974, Lt. Hiroo Onada was the last World War II Japanese soldier to surrender. Onada had been left on the island Lubang in the Philippines on December 25, 1944, with the command to "carry on the mission even if Japan surrenders." Four other Japanese soldiers were left on the island as Japan evacuated Lubang. One ...
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The very first official sermon I preached was based on Joshua chapter 4. It was the spring of 1990 and I was doing a pastoral internship at the church where I grew up, Calvary Lutheran Church of Golden Valley, MN. The sermon experience was memorable for me personally, for a number of reasons, and so it was a bit of serendipity that ...
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Living with and for Jesus the King, in His Kingdom, is a supernatural lifestyle that cannot be accomplished living out of our human abilities. Loving God and loving others as Jesus loved us, living by faith and representing the Kingdom of God to the world around us cannot be accomplished apart from the Holy Spirit’s activity in our ...
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In last month’s article, I offered my belief that God is leading us all into a season of remembering. Remembering who God truly is, as He is described for us in his Word, not necessarily the way we currently think of Him. To remember what He has done for us, in making salvation possible as a free gift and therefore saving us ...
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The clear declaration of Scripture is that God loves us unconditionally. There is never anything we can do that would cause Him to love us any less, nor is there anything that we can do to cause Him to love us more. God loves us because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It is a grace we receive by faith that is not only ...
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“Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the deeds you did at first” (Revelation 2:5a) Back in the middle 1980’s, I was making one of my yearly 3-day personal retreats at the Jesuit Retreat House in Lake Elmo, MN. I had already been attending these weekends for several ...
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Back in September of 2018, I wrote an article for our website on why lasting spiritual transformation is so elusive? There are of course many factors that impact our spiritual growth but I want to focus on one today that is essential for us to understand. Namely, how do we understand the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and what has ...
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I am writing this month about a new ministry offering we are launching this month called Transforming Together. I am personally very excited about what God is going to do in our lives as we experience spiritual transformation together through this monthly gathering. For many years I have loved how God has brought healing and freedom ...
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In some of my reading recently, I was reminded of the importance of prayer in living the Christian life. James 5:16b, says “the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” It is a terrific promise but do we really believe the Word when it says prayer is powerful and effective? In times of honest reflection, I ...
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In 1981, a radio station in Minnesota reported a story about a stolen car in California. Police were staging an intense search for the vehicle and the driver, even to the point of placing announcements on local radio stations to try and contact the thief. On the front seat of the stolen car sat a box of crackers that, unknown to the ...
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We have been learning over the last few years about all of the blessings that are ours as a result of our covenant relationship with God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. Primary among these many blessings, we discover we have been granted authority and power to fulfill our responsibility in expanding the kingdom (reign and rule) ...
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Ninety-four people just completed our fall Cleansing Stream retreat weekend. It was a great weekend with the Lord bringing healing and freedom to both retreat participants and ministry team members. It is always such a privilege to watch God do what only He can do, work healing and spiritual transformation that leads to new joy and ...
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Eighty years ago, as Notre Dame was preparing to play the USC Trojans in college football, Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne was aware that his opponent had a far better team. So he devised a plan to intimidate the opposing players. Rockne scoured the city of South Bend, Indiana (Notre Dame's hometown), and hand-picked 100 of the largest ...
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"Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians 6:2) I had an experience a while ago that I have continued to reflect upon. I believe it was one of those Holy Spirit moments where He showed me something in my interaction with someone else so that I could pay attention to ...
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Having grown up in Minnesota, I came to appreciate the uniqueness, and beauty, of each of the 4 seasons, though I probably would suggest that winter there is a bit too long. Each season has many enjoyable qualities, but summer is my favorite time of year. Summer represents a time to slow down, relax, rest and be restored. Yet, ...
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We live in a time when people, politicians, government, community organizations, companies and even churches over promise and under deliver. They say trust me, vote for me, give your money, buy our product, take this pill, do this exercise or attend our church and your life will be transformed. Do these things and you will have the ...
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The apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:7 “for we walk by faith and not by sight.” What he is saying is that we are not to live by (in reliance upon) our five senses and our human reason (what the Bible calls sight) but by a certain trust (faith) in the existence of an unseen God. This profession of trust also ...
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On Sunday morning June 10th I woke up about my normal time but found myself with excruciating pain in my lower back. And when I went to get out of bed found I could barely walk. Over the next week, I would do some doctoring trying to figure out what was going on with my back. Despite the intensity of the pain and the severe ...
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“Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21) The issue of idolatry is often difficult for modern day Christians to get their minds around and as a result, they don’t believe they are involved in it. No doubt this is in large part due to the mental image that comes to mind when the words idol or ...
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One of the more significant historical events in the life of the people of Israel was the exodus event. It is recorded for us in the books of Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy. After 400 years of bondage in Egypt, God responds to Israel’s cries for deliverance, raises up Moses and supernaturally delivers the people. The promise of ...
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This past weekend we hosted Walter and Ida Cowart for our Activate, Ignite seminar. It was a wonderful time of worship, teaching and most importantly activating our spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. In reflecting on the weekend I was reminded of Paul’s instruction to Timothy “to kindle afresh the gift ...
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We have just passed through the Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember the sacrifices made by the men and women of our nation’s military, specifically those who didn’t come home alive. My dad was a veteran of World War II and as a 19-year-old in the US Army Air Force flew bombing missions over various locations in Germany. ...
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The clear declaration of Scripture is God loves us. He loves us unconditionally, completely and eternally. The storyline of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation details God’s salvation history of humankind, the ultimate expression of His love. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross locked into the course of human ...
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Many Christians are comfortable with the idea that Jesus still speaks and heals today but are not always confident in their own ability to be personally involved in prophetic or healing ministry. The heart longing is there but their lack of confidence and therefore experience, quench the stirring of the Holy Spirit. This ...
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I was talking with a friend recently who has been going through some testing for early onset dementia. His journey began when he and his wife took a weekend trip out of town. The trip was without incident but after they returned home their credit card bill came with charges he didn’t recognize. He then asked his wife why ...
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On Sunday morning March 25, 2018, churches all over America entered into Holy Week with traditional Palm Sunday celebrations. Many had their children process down the aisles with palm branches in their hands, waving them to and fro. The pastor might have preached on Matthew 21:1-11 or the parallel account in Luke 19:29-38. ...
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Human beings are complicated creatures. The truthfulness of this statement is part of what makes life so interesting. It is also what makes life so challenging at times. We are created in God’s image and represent in a limited way His divine nature and character. Yet at times, our behavior is anything but ...
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It was Thomas Edison who said, “Opportunity is often missed because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” What he was saying was that many opportunities in life pass us by because we are not willing to work for them, we are not willing to pay the price. There are of course other reasons that we miss out in ...
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As we begin another Lenten season, an extended period of self-reflection and repentance, I would like to remind us of the spiritual benefits of fasting. Many health-conscious individuals do regular fasts of varying types for the physical benefits, but few remember its close association with the spiritual life. The spiritual discipline of ...
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Over the last 30 plus years, I have attended hundreds of Christian conferences and retreats of varying kinds. Discipleship conferences, worship conferences, denominational gatherings, Promise Keeper conferences, healing meetings, prayer meetings, youth retreats, marriage retreats, pastor’s retreats, along with training seminars of ...
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I am writing this the morning after the Minnesota Vikings divisional playoff win over the New Orleans Saints. It was a literal last-second win when Stefon Diggs caught a Hail Mary pass and ran into the end zone for a highly emotional but improbable win. I confess that I was one of those Vikings fans, having endured four Super Bowl ...
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“And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” (Galatians 6:9) This past summer Barb and I were doing some landscaping in the back yard of our home and God used the opportunity to drive home a lesson He wanted me to learn. The previous owner of our home had a ...
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In even a casual reading of the New Testament, especially the Gospels, we quickly learn that the focus of all of the writers is on Jesus and His kingdom. The fact that this focus is on the person of Jesus and that He was born to be Savior of the world does not surprise us. But the fact this boy child, Jesus of Nazareth, was also ...
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Several years ago, I was spending time with a friend and he was telling me of an experience that he and his wife had while visiting a church in their community. It seems that the church they were visiting was growing in numbers, had lots of programs and activities and even was putting on an addition to accommodate the large number of ...
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Be imitators of me just as I also am of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1) Generally speaking, there hasn’t been any shortage of Biblical teaching about the desire/need that every follower of Christ has to discover/live God’s plan and purposes for their lives. Yet, even with an abundance of good teaching, knowing and living ...
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We have just completed our 2nd Cleansing Stream retreat for this fall season. While each retreat is unique, they often share commonalities, especially within retreat seasons. The most common comment this time was “I just had no idea.” They had no idea that they had been performing for God to earn His ...
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It is natural to have our passion for Jesus and the spiritual life to ebb and flow just like other relationships in our lives. But in those times of extended barrenness, it is often helpful to know why our passion has left us so that we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit to get it back. Pastor and author Gordon MacDonald refers to this ...
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Anyone who has been married for any length of time knows that the covenant relationship between a husband and wife takes time, energy and attention. Yet, when it comes to living out our covenant relationship with God many Christians believe, or at least act as if they believe, it will just happen. For some, this belief is born ...
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The Bible has much to say about the discipline of meditation. It is in fact one of the key ingredients in the process we refer to as spiritual transformation. In the paragraphs that follow I have listed some Scriptures, definitions, explanations and personal life practices that enabled me to incorporate mediation as a part of my daily ...
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Like most pastors, I love to read. When I have time, it is not unusual for me to read a couple of books in a week, especially if they are short. There is something about the joy of discovery, gaining new insight into spiritual truth that is both edifying and exciting. In some ways, this pursuit of truth can become intoxicating ...
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Anyone who has been married for any length of time knows that the relationship between a husband and wife takes time, energy and attention. And it is generally accepted that one must “work” at keeping the marriage relationship vibrant, healthy and alive during the many seasons of life that a couple will experience. Daily ...
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Over the years I have spent considerable time looking at the various commissioning texts where Jesus takes His disciples aside, gives them final instructions and then sends them out to duplicate His life and ministry. One such text is Mark 6:7-13 and it highlights for us the fact that the proclamation of the kingdom, the healing of the ...
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Not long ago I awoke early in the morning believing that God had something He wanted to say to me. As I began to pray, I got the distinct impression that God wanted us to elevate our commitment to prayer by first re-examining our practice of intercessory prayer. Like most within Christian ministry we have sought to be people of ...
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But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. John 14:26 It is interesting to me how the seasons and cycles of life affect us spiritually, especially our sense of dependence upon God. As a younger man contemplating God’s ...
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As we enter the summer season and take a break from our normal routine it is often helpful to try new things and/or do old things in new ways. The following suggestion as an alternative form of study may be just the piece you need to breathe new life into your devotional life. In John 14:8 Philip says to Jesus, “Lord, show us ...
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In August of 1989 the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Dr. Stephen Covey was released and within a very short amount of time made a tremendous impact on management training and leadership development in both public and private sectors. The seven habits Covey describes are simple to understand but like many ...
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While on retreat several years ago I was reading one of the daily reflections from A Minute of Margin by Richard Swenson, MD. It was one of those experiences where God heightened my awareness and said you need to pay attention here. The title to the reflection was Expectation Overload and it pointed out the fact that the affluence of our ...
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One of the promises of the Easter season is that Jesus died in order that we might have life and hae it in abundance (John 10:10). Lilterally what Jesus promised is the "super abundant life." The abundant life is characterized by hope for today and tomorrow, increasing joy and living with a sense of purpose and expectation. If ...
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As a young Augustinian monk Luther could not find any peace with God nor did he have any assurance of salvation. Luther would read the Scriptures, encounter the words of Romans 3:21,22, "righteousness of God", and they would strike terror in his heart. No matter how long he fasted, no matter how long he prayed, he was continually ...
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An airline captain who flies overseas routes also runs a small gas station near his home. Between trips to Europe and the Middle East, he gets a kick out of working on cars and talking to the folks while they fill up with gas. One Saturday morning, dressed in his greasy overalls, he walked down to the local hardware store to pick up ...
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I recently have been meditating upon Psalm 103:1-5, and am experiencing a renewal of my spirit. In accordance with the discipline of meditation I am seeking to make these words of King David my constant mental companion for the purpose of taking up residence in my heart. I say them over several times as I wake each morning, revisit ...
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"But now abide faith, hope and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” -1 Corinthians 13:13 (NASB) In a dream I had not long ago I was attending a health and fitness conference that was sponsored by my general practitioner, who specializes in anti-aging and holistic medicine. At this conference, there was a ...
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When one reads the Gospels or studies the lives of Jesus’ first disciples, we are tempted to think, “What was God thinking?” The incompetence, and at times reluctance, on the part of the disciples to understand, or embrace, Jesus’ mission of making disciples is nothing short of amazing. Could God really have planned to ...
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Have your ever noticed how difficult it is to attain and then hold on to God’s view of things? We are often so lost in our own thoughts and point of view that we are oblivious to the inconsistencies and biases of our own world view. We can even start in the right place but without intentionality on our part, we are subject to ...
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“...in order that no advantage be taken of us by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his schemes” -2 Cor. 2:11 Anyone who has read the apostle Paul’s letters to the churches is familiar with his teaching on the spiritual warfare that attends the Christian life. He makes it clear there really is a fallen angel, ...
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On October 14, 1983, Barb and I were married at the church of my youth, Calvary Lutheran Church of Golden Valley, MN. On our return home from our honeymoon I suggested to Barb that we attend Sunday services there the following weekend, which we did. It was an act that would end my 14 years as one of God’s prodigal sons ...
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One of the hallmarks of the Christmas season is the buying, making, giving and receiving of gifts. In recent years, the tradition of giving and receiving gifts has been much maligned. Primarily, this is because of our capitulation to a culture that has defined the practice in material terms. Gifts, culturally defined, are ...
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As I write this we are just about seventy-two hours past the general election where Donald Trump was voted by the American people to become the 45th President of the United States. It has been an amazing week in so many ways. Some of the words used to describe what has happened are "historic", "unprecedented", "epic", "seismic", and ...
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Psalm 103:1-5; Matthew 6:31-34; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 4:4 “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit; who crowns you with ...
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“When he puts forth all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. And a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:4-5) “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they ...
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John 4:20-24; Ezekiel 44:15-16; Micah 6:8 “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). “I urge you therefore, ...
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Proverbs 3:5-6 In one of my morning times with the Lord recently, I was asking Him for direction on a number of concerns in my life, some personal, some vocational. Some of them were newer questions but others were things that I had been praying about and reflecting on for some time. As I considered one in ...
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John 20:20-23; James 5:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; 1 John 1:8-2:2 With this month’s study we introduce one of what Richard Foster refers to as a corporate discipline, a spiritual practice that takes us beyond the personal and includes our relationship to others within the body of Christ. The focus is on our confession of sin, both to ...
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One of the things we learn very early in life is there are physical laws that govern our lives. We can ignore them if we choose but to do so often results in unpleasant, and sometimes life changing, consequences. You can for example ignore the law of gravity but if you walk off the roof of your house you will fall to the ...
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1 Kings 19:1-19; Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 6:31; Luke 22:39-46 With the pace of life, and the number of distractions we all experience, most of us have great difficulty slowing down and quieting ourselves on the inside in order that God may speak with us. We sometimes are uncomfortable being alone with our own thoughts and surround ourselves ...
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The phrase “mind the gap” was coined about 1968 in the United Kingdom as a way to warn passengers of the Underground transportation (subway) system of the space that existed between the platform and the rail car. It was a cautionary instruction that warned passengers so that they might avoid falling into the gap and thereby ...
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The phrase “mind the gap” was coined about 1968 in the United Kingdom as a way to warn passengers of the Underground transportation (subway) system of the space that existed between the platform and the rail car. It was a cautionary instruction that warned passengers so that they might avoid falling into the gap and thereby ...
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Genesis 12:1-3; Matthew 20:25-28; John 13:1-17 Jesus declared that He came not to be served but to serve. Jesus also taught that any who would be His disciple would follow His example because “the servant is not above his master.” Like many of the spiritual disciplines this one flies in the face of the accepted values ...
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One of the more quotable figures of American history, Mark Twain, said, “It ain’t the parts of the Bible that I don’t understand that bother me, it is the parts that I do understand.” At first blush it seems like an odd thing to say but upon closer examination we begin to identify with his discomfort. ...
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Luke 9:23-24; Matthew 10:24; Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:3-7; James 4:6-10 The discipline of submission is another of the disciplines that seems to be so out of touch with the world in which we live. The cry of our culture is that we “deserve” to have our every need met, we should never be in pain, of any kind, and that we ...
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Several weeks ago as I was packing up to go out to the St Benedict Center for our spring silent retreat weekend, I was busy filling my briefcase with all the things that I thought I might need. A fresh notebook for journaling, a couple of books on prayer, pens and highlighters, a few reference type books, my iPad (which holds many ...
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Matthew 6:22-24; Matthew 6:25-33; Philippians 4:11-13; 2 Timothy 2:4; Colossians 3:5; Revelation 3:15-18 We live in a culture that promotes dissatisfaction and a lack of contentment with what we have in life, especially as it relates to material possessions. As a result, many times our possessions own us and control the way that we ...
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2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:11-16 Many within the church today are Biblically illiterate and have based their understanding of God upon a variety of sources that may or may not be correct. “Although most Americans believe they already know the fundamental truths of the ...
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A Texas farmer was bragging about his very obedient mule and gathered his friends one day for a demonstration. Just before the farmer gave a command to the “obedient’ mule, he stepped in front of it, looked the mule in the eyes and hit it between the ears with a large pole. Then he gave a command and the mule ...
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The spiritual discipline of fasting is, for the most part, one of the forgotten disciplines of the Christian faith. We read of God’s people fasting throughout all of Scripture and Jesus Himself practiced it often. Yet, today it is seen as an unnecessary practice of religious fanatics. In fact, fasting is a natural ...
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Prayer is one of those paradoxical items in the spiritual life, in that it is amazingly simple yet mysteriously complex. From the time we are little children we are taught how to pray and we often pray for those things that concern us. But to pray God’s thoughts after Him, to persevere when we cannot see His answer, to know ...
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In November 2004, Barb and I took our son, Nathan, to Philadelphia for his semi-annual doctor's appointment at the Family Hope Center. While there, I was a bystander to one of the conversations that leaves your mind full of conflicting thoughts and your heart experiencing a range of emotions Late on a Tuesday afternoon we met a ...
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