This post may be my most politically relevant and unyieldingly nonpartisan. Some time back, a commentator, who’s been around since Watergate, expressed that he is more concerned about the future of our country now than at any time in his life. Why? We can’t agree on truth. We don’t seek truth. Partisans, on both sides, decry as “Fake News” anything that doesn’t match what they already want to believe. We accept, as gospel, rumors with no evidence. The divide between left and right grows because…
Read MoreA Startling God
Jesus has startled me on more than once occasion, but he likely maxed that out with “even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” OK, no jokes about me making God’s job easier. The first pic shows me at 27, with a red tank top and a full head of hair. The second shows…
Read MoreHug Your Cactus
Most Unconventional posts begin with a story or question, but let’s open with an extended quote by Robert Downey from a recent American Cinemateque ceremony. While receiving an award, Downey, well-known not just as Iron Man but for his previous struggles with substance abuse, gave some wisdom we can all use, in speaking about Mel Gibson:
“When I couldn’t get sober, he told me not to give up hope, and he urged me to find my faith. It didn’t have to be his faith or anyone else’s, as long as it was rooted in forgiveness…
Read MoreImperfect People and a Perfect God
Recently, a good FB friend, Bart, shared that he and his wife are leaving their church. Too many hypocrites, gossips, people who don’t live like Jesus. I get that; many have left churches for similar reasons. But we face a tension. None of us are perfect, as these words written to followers of Jesus affirm, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23). So, if we proclaim we follow Jesus and sin, are we hypocrites? If only perfect people are allowed in church, how many of us would qualify? But…
Read MoreCall Me Onesimus
In a recent conversation with God about some significant health issues I said, “You’re God, I’m not. I’d love to live long enough to take care of Sheila (my wife), and to write the family historical novel. I’m basically asking, keep me here as long as I’m useful to you and others for your purposes. Just do what you know is best.”…That prompted another thought. If God kept us alive as long as we’re useful to him, how long would we live? That led to another: what does it mean to…
Read MoreTrusting God’s Character
This time of year is my “Ebenezer stone:” a reminder of God’s care and goodness in my life. You see, three years ago I was fighting for my life. In the spring and summer of that year I experienced bizarre symptoms. Doctors had no answers, and as the months passed, I grew devastatingly ill. Sadly, the decline in my health meant leaving my profession because I was in constant pain, was bedridden, and could not eat. In my mind I was useless, and in my misery, I wished for death. I never once questioned my Heavenly Father’s goodness, although…
Read MoreWorking Backward
When we moved back to our Temecula house that had been rented out for six years, we discovered that neglect had left much of it overgrown or dead. One of the many tasks: remove the back lawn and replace it with a brick pavers to create a backyard oasis with a waterfall and firepit. Then, semi-miraculously for SoCal in June, over 1" of rain fell over one weekend, which softened the turf enough to remove easily. Well, easier than if it were hard and dry, typical for SoCal summers. So I eagerly started in with a shovel and old muscles and fairly quickly excavated 3/4 of the 600 sq.ft., only to realize…
Read MoreSeek the Light
Last May, while I was away on a bike trip, my wife and her sister did play. Spell that shopping, and they each bought a small succulent plant, Northern Lights, or sempervivum for any xerophile enthusiasts out there (the rest will have to look it up, like I did). It loves light, so Sheila placed it behind our kitchen sink, with windows on both sides. Soon came her concern, “Something is wrong with this plant, it’s not growing right. Small “chicks” had grown out from the center “hen,” but only on one side. The poor plant lost its balance. Fortunately…
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