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My love for speed came early—at my age of 8, Dad got his 55 Ford Fairlane 500 V8 up to 120 in the Nevada desert, kept it between 105 and 115, and it hooked me. I’ve driven fast, a lot, and had driven several nice cars, even a race bred Lotus Elan. When living in the mountains above Taos with a full-sized Ford van, only a Z passed me.
But the Lamborghini…
Read MoreOn our early long bike tours , music played no role. Instead, we spent a lot of time in our minds: thinking, pondering, praying, questioning. A lot of major life decisions got determined to the gentle hum of the bike’s motor. Or, we’d play “Easy Rider,” set our throttle locks, stretch our arms to the side and flap them like birds, singing the tune, “If you want to be a bird.” No bird brain jokes, please. Other times, the four of us pretended slalom ski, curving between the white paint strips. Right turn, left turn, wash, rinse, and repeat. The rhythm of all four of us matching the others and creating a motorcycle serpent, held beauty brought grace.
Later…
Read MoreThis 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…
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image by SnowTart
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...
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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...
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image by worldinprayer.org
Decades back I served a church in Lawndale as the college/career pastor, and although many of us have moved away from the South Bay, Facebook allows us to reconnect. One member of the group, Sheree Munday Wright, PMed a question which led to an intriguing discussion on a paradox in prayer. With her permission I'm sharing part of our discussion."Tim, please explain the difference between perseverance in prayer and ...
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Not, this post won't address the billionaire running for the Republican nomination, but his line, combined with one from my dad, and my work on excavating our back yard and hauling dirt in a wheelbarrow, all together, have caused me to ponder an important issue of spiritual formation. Complaining.
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