Tag Archives: Grace

Christmas Peace

Our Christmas decorations are out and up, and man was that a lot of work!  The tree was purchased, white lights were strung (inside and out), wreaths with red bows were hung, and the multiple nativity scenes were set up on book shelves, table tops and credenzas. Our holiday pillows were thrown, candles placed, garlands […]

Clean Again

My wife, daughter and I are doing a “juice cleanse.”  We just couldn’t live with ourselves and how are bodies felt after four days of Thanksgiving excess.  Sure, we had 37 family and friends for the big meal, but two large turkeys and two whole hams? Plus all the fixins’? And 10 pies? After several […]

Redemption Song

My favorite stories are those of redemption, and I am sure that I’m not alone.  Think of great movies you’ve seen or books read, and chances are they involve one or more flawed characters who are faced with an opportunity to play a part in something bigger than themselves, like saving another person or even […]

Judge Not…

There are two primary strategies employed by self-righteous, religious people through the millennia to convey the message to anyone who may be listening that “We’re better than you.”  The first, discussed in last week’s blog post, is “religious grand-standing,” that is, calling attention to one’s own good works and religious acts.  The other, which we […]

Oh Mercy

“Mercy triumphs over judgment,” wrote the apostle James (James 2:13).  That’s good to hear.  It seems like there are a whole lot of people these days who are more interested in passing judgment than they are in extending mercy.  But James reminds us of what Jesus taught on a hillside long ago:  “Blessed are the merciful, […]

My daughter dragged me to a concert recently.  She knows someone in the excellent reggae band Rebelution, and scored us backstage “Family” passes (thanks Wes!).  Getting a glimpse into the world of a highly successful touring band was very cool, and the band was wonderfully polite and hospitable to me and the other “old-timers” in […]

Shortcomings

Have you ever let someone down?  I know I have, and it’s tough to own up to and face the hurt and disappointment in the person, especially if it is someone you love.  As a parent, I can think of instances when I wasn’t able to measure up to my younger children’s lofty and unrealistic […]

Hit and Miss

We have all heard or used the expression “hit or miss,” usually referring to one’s approach in attempting to hit a target or achieve a goal.  But have you ever recognized the possibility that one could hit the target, exactly as intended, and still not achieve the desired goal? That point was driven home to […]

Sometimes God shows up in unexpected places. It’s not so much that you expressly and instantly recognize God in a particular moment or encounter; rather, you just have a nagging sense during it or soon afterwards that something bigger is going on than meets the eye. Songwriter/guitarist Phil Keaggy captured this phenomenon in his song […]