Blog
image from commonsensemedia.org
Friends with benefits. This common term describes “a friend with whom one has sex without a romantic relationship or commitment” (dictionary.com). But you already knew that, right? And while the term is fairly recent, it’s gone by a number of names for quite some time. I’m sure you already know them. But don’t expect…
Read More
I never thought I’d write a title like that. To me, American Christianity’s greatest struggle comes with not taking the words of Jesus seriously; we prefer following our desires and cultural values. But a recent event showed my error. Here’s the backstory. Jesus taught…
Read More
image from flexjobs
A year after Dad retired, he semi-jokingly said he couldn’t understand how he used to do all his daily duties in addition to a full-time job. I didn’t get it then. Now in retirement myself, I finally do. Life tumbles in. We all juggle so many demands that we get stressed, we get short-tempered, we get rushed. I still have to craft a weekly schedule of needed tasks that go beyond daily duties. This week features 22 tasks and 9 major appointments. This is retirement? 😉
Read More
image from wabc-tv.com
Welcome to Day 4, our journey’s end. Christmas has come! We’ve seen Jesus as a humble human, a conquering king, a reconciler. At the core—Jesus is God’s gift to us. A gift so great we can get lost in him. A gift so great it can break the back …
Read MoreAn encounter with a squirrel opened up an interesting discussion about God and worship.
During a friend’s retirement party, while standing under a tree and talking to another old friend, he gently mouthed, “Squirrel.” I slowly turned, about one foot from my face was who I later learned was Albert. Apparently he wanted some of the food so freely available, and I held a finger up for him to sniff. He promptly yet gently bit it, almost as if to say, “No, squirrel food. Please.” Quite used to humans, he never flinched when I reached down for my phone to snap some pics of him. He seemed to pose. But yet another brief conversation with the wife of another old friend…
Read More
image by Mark Terrill and AP
Young adults enjoying the dancing at College Country night at the Borderline Bar in Thousand Oaks. Several there had survived the Las Vegas shooting just a year before. Then some pops were heard, some thought balloons or doors slamming. But some recognized the source: gunshots. Before the firing ceased, 11 attenders and a sheriff’s deputy lay dead. But, as so often happens, good rose. Here’s one example, and what we can all learn…
Read More