Several months ago my sister began begging me to come up from Temecula in SoCal to Redding in NoCal to paint her house. Well, I delayed it, having a lot of our own projects. Sibling love finally won, and I blended in three days of fishing at Rock and Hat Creeks, both on the way. Their house had a nice wow factor, except for the painting. Blah tones of tan and brown and yes, a purplish hue on some. The plan: ...
Read MoreEmbrace Chaos
I love the line in a current worship song, “He brings our chaos back into order.” The universe began in chaos, formless and void, until he spoke it into being, with order. Enough order for us to design smart phones and sent rockets to Saturn, and, well, you get it. God also does that in our lives—we simultaneously head in different directions with contradictory goals, and he brings consistency so we can be productive. But…
Read MoreDemon Faith
Demon Faith--the ultimate oxymoron and insult, perhaps. James, the brother of Jesus, stated that many believe in Jesus without trusting him. The demons do that. Hence, demon faith. In an extended definition of genuine faith, James said, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” (James 2:19-20 NLT, but see verses 14-26). But could we possibly have some elements of demon faith in our lives? Not that our faith is...
Read MoreFirst Love
The early days of a romance possess a quality that comes to possess us. We stay up all night, talking. Listening, genuinely. We think of nothing else. We’d do anything for them. But gradually, we get to know them. We get comfortable. We settle in. Following Jesus can follow that example. But should it? Can we escape that all-too-common trap?...
Read MoreBlind Faith?
What can swimming chickens teach us about blind faith? More than I ever imagined. Robin, a friend from high school days, has chickens in the neighboring town, and posted this pic of Pearl the swimming chicken. Honestly, I’d never heard of that before, and asked why she swam. Robin’s response? “Blind faith.” She proceeded to educate me on...
Read MoreReasons to Believe
A week or so ago I gave a Facebook update on my skin cancer surgery, that the margins were all clear and the cancer had not spread. In relief, I added, “God is good.” Then I thought of the many friends, some who love God deeply, who currently struggle with very serious cancers and other health issues. For some, death approaches and when is the only question. What about them? I had to add, “And, he would be just as good if the news had been bad, but I do rejoice.” That prompted more pondering, about God and trouble, about the reasons people enter into faith, about...
Read MoreUnexpected Consequences
The pic above of a debate trophy represents a hasty decision I made, one motivated by fear and done without knowledge, one that changed the course of my life. Here’s the backstory. Back in junior high, with knees knocking to produce more sound than my voice, I gave an oral report. It...
Read MoreLamborghini Lessons
My first exposure to Lamborghinis came in college—my roommate Ron Stump brought a mag about it, and I got hooked on the Italian supercar. But I’d never even sat in one, until Sheila gifted me with 7 laps with Exotics Racing at the Fontana Speedway. In a Lambo Gallardo 550. The 550 proclaims the horsepower, it tops out at 200 mph, and scorches 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds. Naturally, I posted a pic and thoughts on Facebook, but the exhilaration transcends the day. Driving home in our slow Honda Accord, I realized the Lambo taught me some lessons. I learned…
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