Covid 19 has swept through our world and our lives like a pruning knife, cutting out large portions of things we thought we couldn't live without. Pruning doesn't just trim away the excess and the dead; it gouges to the heart of the flourishing, a harsh process designed to bring forth future abundance. But for … Continue reading Pruning
It is Enough
I set out on my walk through the cool Minnesota morning with good intentions. No podcast or music this morning - just communion with my Creator. I had good plans to pray for the people in my mind and heart as I strode past dew-laden ferns, past the mailbox, onward through the morning's coolness. As … Continue reading It is Enough
The First Fourth
Last weekend America celebrated her 244th birthday. Our citizens remembered the patriots who managed to defeat the world's greatest colonial power of the time to secure for us the hope of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Two of those soldiers were my ancestors. They were simple farmers living in a small town in … Continue reading The First Fourth
A Special Birthday
Last weekend marked the beginning of Ben's 28th year on this earth. Although he has accumulated the years of a man, his heart and understanding are that of a small child. Ben's calendar is simple: Starting on December 26, he starts anticipating his birthday. And on June 28th, he begins to eagerly anticipate Christmas. Every … Continue reading A Special Birthday
My Fathers
I had a good father. He taught me how to save money and to love words. He was a small-town newspaper editor who wore cardigans and caps and garnered the respect of all who knew him. If it's true that we picture God somewhat like our fathers, then mine gave me the impression that God … Continue reading My Fathers
Wonder is the feeling we get when we let go of our silly answers, our mapped out rules that we want God to follow. I don’t think there is any better worship than wonder.” Donald Miller
Emergence
Quarantine is over and restrictions are lifting. Like a deer in the woods we peer out at life, hesitant. How long will it be before we dream again? These months have been heavy. Fearful. Numbing. Our noble goals for quarantine productivity long ago dissolved into apathy. Efforts at uplifting each other gave way to videos of … Continue reading Emergence
There are many of us willing to do great things for the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.” - D.L. Moody
Fog
The fog lay gently on the lake this morning as I left for my daily walk. A loon called from beyond my field of vision.The colors of the morning faded into the gray dampness. When I was very young we lived by the ocean, where the fog often lay thick and heavy over my neighborhood. … Continue reading Fog
Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter. - Francis Chan
