Empty!
An empty stomach gurgling during a silent prayer at church is embarrassing. Empty milk containers left in the refrigerator are quite annoying. My wife’s game of how many miles she can drive with the “empty” light on her vehicle is quite nerve-racking for her passengers. And the cream of the crop is when you dream […]
Praise the Lord!
I really like the way Psalm 106 starts: “Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the Lord or fully declare his praise?” (verses 1,2). I’m not such a fan of the middle of the psalm though. (If you haven’t, […]
The most important day of your life
Of all the days you’ve been on the earth, which one would you point to as the most important of them all? Your birthday? Your baptism? Your graduation day? The day you met the person who changed everything? I am sure there are several days competing for the title of “most important,” but what if […]
How do you know God loves you?
When you are in unspeakable pain, it is natural to question the love of God. If God has the power to end your pain, then why doesn’t he do something? Your mom dies young or you battle depression for years or your marriage ends despite your desire to keep fighting or you can’t conceive after […]
Let’s bring back Easter
I feel bad for Easter. They say that Christmas and Easter are the two biggest days for Christianity, but compared to Christmas, Easter is pretty missable. When’s the last time you had an office Easter party? or fought for a parking spot at the mall on Easter weekend? or argued about whether you could play […]
News fatigue?
Who’s feeling a bit burned out on bad news? God wants you to hear his good news. There’s a bunch of it in Isaiah chapter 40. “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (verse 1). God communicates with you for your comfort, not to exploit you and enrage you. “And the glory of the Lord […]
Do not fear
Everyone is afraid of something, right? I’m afraid of sharks, financial planning, and clowns (not necessarily in that order). I’m also afraid of death and debilitating sickness. (Who isn’t?) What are you afraid of? I bet you were afraid of different things when you were small! (Okay, sharks and clowns were still on my list […]
When stuff owns you
I remember the garage sale of garage sales. The big day came. After people came and went, most of my stuff was still sitting in my garage. My wife gently pointed out that I had priced things too high. A garage sale where things don’t sell is a sign that you don’t own your stuff. […]