Blog
image by chrishefner.com
Quite a popular bumper sticker lately, particularly in our relativistic age which encompasses many paths to God. Some take it to mean coexist peacefully, disagree without killing one another. I can support that. But if it means, as one image proclaims, “God is too big to fit into one place,” equating all belief systems, then I take issue.
Easter is the reason.
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The church building required refurbishing. Multiple decades had aged it, and minimal remodeling spoke of bygone eras. Even worse, the entrance was on the opposite side of the parking lot, well hidden to first time visitors. Many people drove in, saw no entrance, and drove right out. So we embarked on a major project to cut into a retaining wall to install steps, remove vegetation, craft a new entrance by the parking, and paint the entire interior. One of our leaders, an Air Force officer, led the painting crew, and I struggled ...
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Near death experiences fascinate us. Whether it’s the recent books and movies Heaven is for Real or the earlier 90 Minutes in Heaven, we yearn for evidence for eternal life. Although the Bible says that, we often want more. But. Consider with me that we may short change the essence of eternal life.
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Mark Twain cabin by Wikimedia.com
Mick and I left the rest of the riders in Sisters OR and headed home. Mt. Shasta provided a motel room, then we rode together the next morning until he split off to Susanville, to return the bike he borrowed from his son-in-law. I headed to Placerville as the starting point to cruise along Hwy 49, through the Gold Rush towns scattered along the Sierra foothills. Windy roads, finding Mark Twain’s cabin (above in the pic), and exploring the funky towns made it a long day until I found ...
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image by bio.miami.edu
The cushy beds in the tent trailer in Convict Lake’s campground claimed my son-in-law and grandson as I rose alone at early dawn to entice the trout in the creek. Yes, I caught a few. But better than the rainbows was the reminder of God’s patience. Mountain mornings bring a freshness unique to them. I enjoy the newness as I ride my Honda to work most mornings, but being immersed in God’s world makes it more vivid, more encompassing, more ...
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Long ago, I determined to look on the bright side of life. Earlier focusing on the dark side and possible problems and what others thought of me led to contemplations of suicide. My own. To balance my natural negative take...
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Let’s begin a regular, continuing topic, OK? Once a month we’ll explore how much value God has, or doesn’t have, in our lives. Who is he? What’s he like? What does a connection with him look like? How can we craft that? I’m convinced that we need to identify those questions because our view of God, or the lack of it, will shape our lives. So this first post will start the process with two positions that represent the ends of the spiritual spectrum. Several years ago, a woman walked into Haagen-Dazs, and noticed Paul Newman...
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For too long, I justified myself with the excuse that dancing with the devil was justifiable if I didn’t slow dance. I’d edge as close to overt sin as I could without stepping over the line. Close enough to get some pleasure, but not too close to get trapped, to have guilt overwhelm the good times. In high school days, how much physical contact with girls was acceptable before it became sin? That became more subtle as an adult, how much information could I withhold, without actually lying, to give myself an advantage? Or, while remaining a nice guy, what balance should I strike between serving others and using others to serve myself? These are just a few of all those cases I could list.
That was fast dancing with the devil.
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