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Hiking at Starved Rock, I was thrilled to see dozens of eagles and many nests in the high trees atop the rocky cliffs along the river. They’re fairly easy to spot in the wild from below. But I’ve never seen one from above except for those that had been preserved and relocated to a display case, like the visitor center at the state park.

Think about it: Work is life. Life is work. With the amount of time you spend on the job, if you don’t learn to love it and gain fulfillment from it, it’s going to be a miserable life. But it’s not about finding a job you love. It’s about working in a way that you love the people around you and you love to accomplish things and produce.

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). Did you catch that? You are God’s masterpiece! The original word Paul used for masterpiece in Greek was poema. We get our word “poem” from that word. That’s how God created you, as an intricately designed and carefully worded poem, put together just as He planned for you to be. His masterpiece.

Linda and I were in Romania a couple of weeks ago, and we visited a medieval castle where the vampire legend of Count Dracula was supposedly based.

We have so many wonderful things to share from Easter weekend. Not only was the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead a beautiful time, but many lives were transformed.

Philip was born with Down syndrome and attended a third-grade Sunday School class with several other eight-year-olds. The other kids were not sure how to interact with him, so he was always on the outside. But on Easter Sunday, they learned a special lesson from him, endearing him to them.

A couple years ago, Linda and I were in Talkeetna, Alaska at the foot of Denali National Park, and the foot of that giant mountain (now Mt. McKinley again). Most people don’t know that Mt. McKinley is earth’s tallest mountain from base to peak on land. Mt. Everest is taller because it is part of a very high range where the land surrounding it is at a much higher elevation. We started into Denali from an elevation below Chicago, so from our flatland perspective and from the fo

I know that is not what you want. Everyone who has ever lived has had an internal desire to make a difference, to live in such a way that their lives will outlast their time on earth. And you’re no exception.

I was saddened to watch a YouTube video last night of an airplane crash that killed the pilot and his 3 passengers. It caught my eye because it was the same airplane I fly: Piper Lance.

A few years ago, Linda and I took our camper up north. It’s important to level the camper when parked at a campsite, or you’ll end up with all kinds of problems. I normally use a small but reliable level that I place on the floor. I had recently picked up a new one that was longer, larger and easier to read. But after leveling the camper, Linda and I went inside and we felt like we were walking uphill. I put the new level on the floor and the bubble was in the middle. I put m

Maybe you come from a tradition that practiced baptism differently than here at The Bridge. Maybe it's the one thing about our church that you’re not comfortable with. I get it. That used to be me.

Throughout college and seminary, I didn’t get a lot of sleep. I worked a lot, went to school, and served as a youth pastor on the weekends. In addition to some embarrassing episodes falling asleep in class, I had some precarious incidents while driving.

There were four clergymen discussing the merits of Bible translations. One liked the King James Version best because of its beautiful classical English. Another liked the New American Standard because of its nearness to the original Hebrew and Greek. Still another preferred the New Living Translation because of its up-to-date phraseology. The fourth thoughtfully replied, “I like my mom’s translation best.” The other three were surprised. They didn’t know that his mother had t

I have an attitude indicator. It might be the most important instrument in the airplane, especially if it’s foggy outside. It tells me if the attitude of the airplane is right, which might be more important than you think. In flight, attitude is the level position of the airplane, whether it’s flying straight and level, banking left or right, or pitching up or down. When a pilot loses sense of the airplane’s attitude, disaster is imminent. That’s why we have an attitude indic

I have perfect pitch. I guess it’s pretty unusual. I learned when I was a kid that I could hum middle C without hearing it first. I later learned that’s perfect pitch. I just now tried it again, hummed what I thought was middle C, and then played the note online, and bingo, I had it exactly. I understand that even a lot of accomplished musicians and singers are not able to do that.

Several years ago I had lunch with a young local business man and aspiring politician. He asked me, “What gets you up in the morning?” Meaning, what am I passionate about, what gets me excited?

I used to watch The Brady Bunch as a kid and longed to be in a family like that. They had parents who calmly led. They had each other when things were going well and not so well. They sometimes fought, but always came together. I’d almost forget that it was a TV show and wish that I could be in that family.

Is follower of Jesus the first thing that comes to mind when people think of me?

Philosopher Walter Kaufmann wrote a book ironically titled The Faith of a Heretic. After explaining our cosmic insignificance, he concluded: “What I want to do and would advise others to do is to make the most of life: put into it all you have got, and live, and, if possible, die with some measure of nobility.”

Last week’s post was about determining God’s will. If you missed it, I encourage you to go back and read it.