God's in Charge of Who's in Charge. Really

Tim Riter August 22, 2016

Maybe it’s time we all amp down our levels of anxiety about our 2016 Presidential race. Yes, the race is important—the American president holds more power and influence than any other individual. He or she will change history, have no doubt. And many of us have strong concerns about one or both of the major candidates. The latest Real Clear Politics summary has both Trump and Clinton at an unheard of 54% unfavorable rating. 75% of Americans dislike the direction of our country. But ...

Upside Down and Backwards

Tim Riter August 15, 2016

Do you struggle with God's desire that we be righteous, even as you face the reality of your fallenness? I've asked a good friend, Dan DeWitt, to be our guest columnist this week to explore that. I have been wanting to get rid of my lawnmower for several months now. It would cut the grass, but ...

It's Dad's Fault

Tim Riter August 8, 2016

On a solo Sierra trip, to a rarely fished section of Rock Creek well away from most fisherfolk, I spotted a likely spot through the brush that rimmed the wild trout section. I slipped between the willow branches and wild roses, drowned the night crawler a bit without a bite, and carefully backed out, trying not to snag my 9 ft. split bamboo fly rod, or the line, in a vicious branch or rose thorn. But the rod tip struck a branch, the rod flexed and line went all over, taking a good ten minutes to unsnag the mess. Muttering under my breath in frustration, I blamed...

Knowing When to Say When

Tim Riter August 1, 2016

We’ve all had a waitress refill our coffee cup with the line, “Say when,” meaning let me know when to stop pouring. No “when” and we get a lapful of hot coffee, so we learn to say “when.” And I’m slowly learning that “saying when” applies to more than coffee...

What a Mess!

Tim Riter July 25, 2016

So, who ya like for President? Or maybe the question should come out as, who ya dislike the least? Which is the lesser of two evils? If I recited all the problems facing our country, this post would grow into a book. But briefly, both candidates have earned a 58% disapproval rating. 75% of Americans don’t approve of our country’s direction. But even worse is...

Let a Bike Be a Bike

Tim Riter July 18, 2016

With a roar of motors from the bikes above, we pulled out of the church at 8 AM. The destination: Julian, an old west mining town in San Diego County. The first prime part of the ride: South Grade Road on Palomar Mtn. Some experts claim this and the Tail of the Dragon at Deal’s Gap in North Carolina lay title to the most twisty and difficult biker roads in America.We stopped at ...

Beauty in Hard Times

Tim Riter July 11, 2016

As many of you know, despite the abundant rain this last winter in NoCal, the drought continues in SoCal. A friend and former fellow teacher, Leilani Smith, started an interesting Facebook dialogue a week ago that revealed a truth of growing in Christ, right at the end. She posted a series of pics taken on a hike she took, including the one above, and this conversation ensued.

Leilani: So much sculpture on the trail this morning!

Me (as one who tries to see a spiritual hook in everything): The quality of the art ...

A Tale of Two Brushes

Tim Riter July 4, 2016

I’d just finished painting all the walls, two coats with a quality paint. The next step: to apply white enamel to the baseboards to set off the new tan walls, so I grabbed the handy and thoroughly cleaned 3” Purdy brush I’d used on the kitchen enamel. That’s the one on the right in the pic. It worked well for the first 20’, but began to hold more paint than I could scrape off, and it began to drip onto the new tile floors. Not a good thing. And, once again, that reaffirmed what’s close to an absolute truth...

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following