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I had a conversation with a guy a while back, who had a defeatist mentality. From an outsiders perspective, his life was really good.He grew up in a stable family, had a good wife and a couple of happy kids. He had a decent job, drove a newer car, and lived in a nicer house than I had ever lived in. And he was healthy.But to him, everything was wrong. His parents were nags, his wife wasn’t perfect, his kids misbehaved, his job was stressful, his car didn’t have bluetooth, his

Some horrible things happened in Florida last week. Horrible. Forty-nine dead, plus the shooter, and fifty-three injured. And who will ever forget that horrific ordeal of the alligator and the little boy? So where was God? Let’s face it. There’s a lot of really bad stuff in the world. Last week, it seemed to be concentrated in Orlando. But not really. Right now, civilians in Fallujah are trapped in their own city and facing roaming death squads of ISIS combatants. So far this

I will never forget it. Maybe the most embarrassing day of my life.It was early in my freshman year of high school. I was happy because it was a rare day for me to eat hot lunch in the school cafeteria, rather than the usual bologna sandwich I brought in a brown paper bag. I had just sat down at a table of some friends and picked up the salt and sprinkled it on my food. Martin, evidently, thought it would be hilarious to unscrew the top for some unsuspecting soul, and I was t

We’ve all heard of Jesus’ most well-known miracles, his walking on the water, feeding 5,000, healing lepers and raising Lazarus. In fact, many of these stories are so familiar to us that we zone out as they are being told. Familiarity dulls our sensitivity and we are no longer amazed.But think of the lepers who were healed and think of their families' reaction when they were able to return home. These people hadn’t read the Gospels, or any children’s Bible story books. These

I know, we’ve barely had spring and now I’m talking about summer. But this is Memorial Day Weekend, and summer is virtually here. To make the most of the warmer weather and the longer days, decide now how you are going to spend the summer and plan it. Here are a couple of suggestions. Schedule vacation. Not just the dates, but what are you going to do? Where are you going to go? Have a family meeting to talk about it and that way you get to also enjoy the anticipation. Some

Last week served as a reminder to me of the reality of death. We attended a wake for a man who was not much older than me. He learned he had cancer one day and eight weeks later, we were at his funeral visitation. From there we went to the hospital to visit a woman who is younger than me. A couple of months ago she was also told she has cancer, and in her hospital room she told my wife and I that she has about six months left.Sometimes people know it is coming. I’m not sure i

I grew up in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a beautiful small city nestled between tall rock faced bluffs and the Mississippi River. The prominent outcroppings that towered above the city were a constant invitation to me as a boy, and as soon as I was old enough to ride my banana seat bike around town without supervision, my friends and I were climbing and exploring those bluffs. We’d bring packs and gear that we bought from the army surplus store, and make a whole day of it.The most i

Here we go! Election season is in full swing. The conventions are coming. A lot of us are in mourning. Let me give you some brief reminders that may help us all get through the months ahead. •  Things have been worse . How would you have liked to live under Diocletian and know that being a Christian you’ll soon lose your job and possibly your life? Or maybe it would have been better in medieval Europe, where entire villages were drowned because they practiced baptism the way

Most of us can point to our greatest regrets in life as things we did or didn’t do when our feelings were in control. It’s always a mistake to let your emotions guide you.

Yesterday was bill paying day. When Linda and I finished and closed the budget spreadsheet, I was in a whiny mood. Who likes sending money out…paying bills?But then a thought came to me, as though it were a rebuke from the Lord. “Look at all you get for what you pay!”I have a warm house in the winter; a cool house in the summer. I have two reliable cars, also with heat and air. We turn a knob and we get our choice of hot or cold water. We turn another knob and we have fire to

If you’re already familiar with Romans 8:28, read it again anyway, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (ESV). It’s a Scripture commonly quoted in Christian circles. But what does it mean? Until recently, I thought I understood it well.But I was reading Romans 8 from the New English Bible (NEB) this morning and had to read verse 28 a couple of times. The translation quoted it differentl

If you’re reading this, you don’t want to do that. You wouldn’t be on this page if you didn’t have some interest in church things. Even people who do not go to church are usually happy when their kids do. Church people say they want more than anything for their kids to know and love God, and to be a part of a good church. But the trouble is, too many church people are turning their kids away. How? •  By attending when it is convenient. Kids can be fooled for a while. But they