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Seattle experienced flash flooding this week, with water overwhelming levees, resulting in deep flooding on the streets. Some people had to be rescued off the roofs of their cars. One man ignored multiple flood warning signs and drove past road-closure signs. He lost control in the deep water on the street and slid into six feet of water in a ditch. Sadly, he drowned in his car. I knew a guy who ignored tightness in his chest, shooting pain in his left arm, and lightheadednes

Last week I blogged on holiday stress and gave you a three-step plan of attack to deal with it. This week, I came across a study released by Mayo Clinic and authored by Amit Sood, a Mayo stress-reduction expert. Sometimes the world gets it right. This study was just raw science with a bit of pop psychology thrown in. It’s been referred to in news programs and other articles as a help for people to enjoy the holidays.

The trees are up, lights are lit…Christmas season is here! It’s supposed to be a wonderful time of the year. So how come you are so stressed? You can be at peace this Christmas and you can find that peace now, so that you actually enjoy Christmas this year. And it’s not complicated. I’ve got three simple steps for you.

I completed my fifth Bridge tour to Israel ten days ago. Every time I go, I find deep meaning revisiting both Old and New Testament sites. Seeing where Jesus lived and taught is very meaningful. It’s interesting how every time I go, I learn something new.

There was a reason for our Hoist the Sail theme verse: “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever” (Romans 11:36). We know intuitively that everything we do as a church is to be pointed at God’s glory. But is that true of your life in general?

Linda and I were in Wisconsin a few weeks ago, and we drove by the building of the church we established over 35 years ago. It feels good to drive by the building and know that all that work paid off…that there is still a strong and growing congregation there. The four pillars holding up the carport caught my eye.

I took a class in seminary called Theology of Prayer. It was beneficial to explore every passage in Scripture about prayer throughout the semester. One of the projects for that class involved completing a week of thanksgiving and writing a report on that week. The project was pretty easy but remarkably valuable.

My youngest granddaughter, River, is almost two. The other day, she brought her mom’s phone to her and asked, “Papa?” So Erica FaceTimed me and gave the phone to her. I answered, and we talked for a bit (though River’s talk was mostly gibberish). When I hung up and my face disappeared from the screen, she got upset.

I had a shooting pain down my arm. I tried a lot of things. I bought an elastic band that was supposed to make it feel better. I used analgesic. My wife would massage my hand, forearm, and elbow, where the pain was the strongest. I tried sleeping differently so I would no longer sleep on it, thinking that might be what it was. After months with no relief, I went to the doctor.

I’m slow in using the term “revival.” I didn’t jump on the Asbury bandwagon a couple of years ago, and my response to those who asked was, “Well, a real revival is a rise to consistency. Whether or not this is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit will be evident by the number of lives changed over the long haul. When revival happens, church attendance surges, as do conversions to Christ.” Did that happen at Asbury in 2023?

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” ― Winston S. Churchill A bunch of our Bridge brothers and sisters are feeling that now. And I’m not just talking about the marathon they are running. Some of you are facing major upheaval in your life.

I first traveled by the Badlands and saw part of them from the highway in my early 20s. Linda and I later took our kids there a couple of times in our family western adventures. The kids loved climbing the rocky cliffs, with Linda calling up at them, “Don’t go so high!” They did anyway. But seeing the Badlands from the air is entirely different from wandering around in them or driving through.