Life...Relentless and Valuable

When moving back to our home we had rented out, we discovered some huge pampas grass clumps. Three days ago before this pi, the small tan clump in the foreground looked like the abundant and green tower of pampas grass in the background. Then two days later, it got shaved to a significantly smaller “stump.” But by the next day, it had begun to grow again. Look carefully, six inch pale green shoots demonstrate the relentlessness of life. I hope the generous application of Round Up will kill the roots, but several doses might be required. Why? Life persistently…

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Free Will?

Let’s flip the coin. Last week, we began to explore God’s role in daily life with a story of how he overwhelmingly directed a major change in moving me to Taos. One repeated response by readers dealt with the rarity of such clear direction. Though seldom for many of us, it does happen. But my time in Taos ended in a radically opposite form. I’d spent a year in youth ministry a few years earlier, and upon getting fired, declared I’d rather…

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Determinism?

We all face critical change points, events that significantly shape the rest of our lives. What puzzles me, though, is life determined for people of faith? Simplistically, some, like Calvinists, lean toward God choosing all. Arminians blend free will into the mix, and deists acknowledge that alt hough God created the world, he has little involvement in daily operations. For me, one of the three greatest change points came with my move to Taos NM in 1974. I’m absolutely clear that God

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A Time to Tweak

We moved back to our Temecula house almost six years ago. After purchasing it in 1988 and living in it until 2009, we then rented it out for the next six years and moved to Thousand Oaks for a job, only to return to our overused rental house. Among the many renovations, we completely redid the entire back yard, keeping only the concrete sidewalk and pad. Some of you followed those changes. I most enjoyed putting in a waterfall and pond, and we’ve enjoyed hours around it with a drink and company or a book or just the two of us. But…

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Waiters and Spirituality

We navigate a toxic world of easily offended people that includes those who seem to delight in offending and demeaning others. A recent Facebook discussion on this came up with a helpful metaphor on how to tone down some of the discord. Most of us, myself included, tend to think we’re correct and others would benefit by accepting our beliefs and values. So we share them, they resist, and we up the game. We get more strong and loud, they get more resistant, emotions grow and insults fly. Not good, and relationships often fracture. Perhaps we err by…

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