Pastor of a small church.
Longview - Washington
Pastor of a small church.
276 articles
Hold it tightly just not too tightly. "When people care deeply about the same things, when they share what the existentialist theologian Paul Tillich called 'ultimate concerns', they are sometimes inc...
Why do what you do? For example, myself. I tend to write. Now to be honest I used to believe I wrote well. I had a readership of around 35 thousand and had been published a few times. Now I have a rea...
Technophobe or techno-friendly Now as most of us know the original “cell phone” was around 80 pounds and was only installed in cars. This amazing device is just around 75 years old. The handheld cell...
Good morning Good morning it’s 28 degrees the sun is not up, and the birds are chirping. Okay, not all the birds but some. From my office most of the houses are still dark, the children are not quite...
Giving and receiving Life generally is about giving and receiving. There are times when we give more than we receive and times when we receive more than we give. The problems arise when we get stuck i...
Feelings: bane or blessings As each of us knows every day brings with it its own problems and its own pleasures. The group that captures our attention the most throughout the day determines if conside...
The power of being nice We have all most likely heard the saying “nice guys finish last.” Usually implying that it takes being a little ruthless to make it in this world. And as we all have lived in t...
Excitement has left the building When was the last time you were excited? The last time you were truly heart pumping eager for something? I remember as a child being excited, so I know it is or at lea...
(an attempt to answer a question) The yoke of Jesus In Matthew 11:28-30 we read that the yoke of Jesus is light and comfortable. And while we know that to be a true statement, we don’t exactly know wh...
Finding you balance When a child is learning to walk, they have this tug of war with gravity. This tug of war becomes the centermost truth of their reality. The desire to stand is fought by this unsee...
To give thanks Tis the season to be thankful, to remember times and events that lift our spirits. A time to focus on the positive and refresh the soul. A time of intentionality. Thanksgiving is an Ame...
I am requesting your input I have a question to put before you. In an attempt to explain the question, I expect I will ramble, but I request that you put up with me as I attempt to present this questi...
Remembering what is important We have all heard the saying “the tyranny of the urgent”. The relevant ease in which you are moved from doing what you need to do to that which is making the most noise....
Prevailing winds It has been said that you should go with the flow. Watch and see which way the wind is blowing then adjust your sails to follow. Why? Why should you go with the flow or more accuratel...
Fiddling as the world burns There are days that can feel like we are Caesar fiddling while Rome burned. The overwhelming feeling that there is nothing we can do about the problems we see. The real ans...
Life Today I was pondering the reality of the changing of the seasons. No longer is it light outside when I arrive at my office, in fact, it is now quite dark. Seasons change not only throughout the y...
Facts fiction supernatural Belief in the supernatural is easily traced thousands of years into our history. It is only recently that we have come to the conclusion that the supernatural does not exist...
When the party is over When the party’s over and it’s time to go home but you don’t want the fun to end. When the year draws to a close, but it has been the best year to come along in far too long. Wh...
To hear or not to hear that is the question For the last while, I have found only a few people who were willing to listen to an opposing view. Now by the word listen I mean to sit there long enough to...
The current atmosphere? This morning I sampled a variety of tick-tocks, posts, and YouTube shorts just to see what was out there. I made sure I did not just view only one style or agenda-driven messag...
It's elementary my dear Watson Deducing the difference between one thing and another. Some are very easy; a car is not ice cream. Others can be rather more difficult to deduce; medium rare and medium...
Where are you? Where are you? Now I expect many people will answer this with their current location. That is the expected answer. But the amazing truth behind that question is that we need to know whe...
Contemplation What is the basis of you? What is your foundation? From whence does your knowledge flow? Now alas, the majority of us fail to actually ask these and similar questions. The reason I find...
Live your life Walking, standing, sitting, acting, pausing, at rest. Year by year, month by month, day by day. Life. Is life just that? Is life simply a continual repeating of what came before? Life....
Something happened In the beginning, something happened. We know something happened by the fact that there is a now. But what exactly happened is up to debate due to one very real reason. None of us w...
My opinion Do people care about our opinions? Now I used “our” to protect my ego, but the sentiment or question remains. For many individuals who have multiple social media channels, the answer is I b...
Spark The initial moment when you are touched by an idea. That first glimpse of an answer or concept. The tender moment before the idea becomes solid but is just hovering, hopeful, awaiting to become...
The deception of anger I wanted to be an encouragement today. To write something that would lift a spirit or build someone up as there are many articles that are frustrating to read. But the more I th...
Turn the other cheek This phrase from history is taken from Jesus’ sermon on the mount. In this passage, we have this phrase where we are told to turn the other cheek. And yes, while it may have been...
Be angry but sin not There are a lot of things these days on social media or on the news that can encourage your blood to boil. Or if you are of a calmer mindset to simply become frustrated at the way...
A spinning ball The earth rotated to reveal the sun's presence today. Just like it did yesterday and indeed every day before. I expect that is how rotation works in a vacuum. The world spins, rotates....
What is the truth When listening to people I hear many of them say that all they are after is the truth. With all the information that is being broadcast, it can be hard to filter the facts from the f...
To teach scripture Should we teach scripture like we teach history? It is true that all of scripture is historical as it is at minimum 2000 years old (give or take 38 years). And like history scriptur...
Turn Turn Turn In days long past I used to write of sunrises and the wonder of the sun touching the plants and trees. I used to describe the birds singing and dancing in the morning rays while the clo...
Is love your reality? Faith, hope, and love these three but the greatest of these is love. This phrase is from 1 Corinthians 13 taken from the scriptures understood by Christians to have been recorded...
The fear that turns flesh to stone Are you standing alone on the precipice of life? Standing there wondering if the next step will topple you? Are you standing there because you are scared to move, fe...
Swimming can be harder than it seems When one stops to ponder, to think, to actually consider all the comments and opinions they have listened to it makes the head hurt. The positive is that there are...
Can we talk about Chris Rock? Can we talk about Chris Rock? Here this guy is just doing his job and while he might have crossed a line seeking to entertain a group of rather jaded individuals, neverth...
Are you having a bad day? So, you had a bad day. I seem to be saying that a lot lately. And honestly, I am not even sure just who has had a bad day. Just in general I guess someone must-have. Then I s...
For such a time as this After not having words of my own I have taken the time to seek the words of others. I have found some words which were wise while others were not as much. I have noticed a lot...
Voices in my head I have been sitting here for an hour and a bit more trying to put into words the voices bumbling around in my head. Each concept fighting for dominance seeks to come to the front of...
A lesson learned The sun rises eagerly on the eastern shore racing diligently without pause or variance until it rests in the west. This diligence this continual race to supply light to the land. Rise...
A necessary lesson It is a harsh reality to finally come to the understanding that my belief does not change the facts or the truth. My position does in no way actually affect reality. All it does is...
It is Your life to live Some of you might remember from quite a while ago that my hobby is bladesmithing. I have had the privilege of designing and building blades from a two-handed greatsword down to...
Fog Heavy fog covers the ground obscuring the trees. I came on quickly settling silently. Quiet, quick, and relentless this fog, entering my world without request. Obscuring my view, halting my vision...
When silence is the best answer There are more than just a few statements that revolve around the idea that the greater part of wisdom is knowing when to keep your mouth shut. And while most of us wou...
Finding your voice Finding your voice is an interesting idea. Now, to ensure we are all on the same page as to what this phrase means, it is shorthand for understanding your opinion and having the wil...
Looking forward to a great year Now I have heard some people that are not all that optimistic about 2022. But why? 2020 and 2021 were a little off, full of fear and anger, that is true but why must 20...
For Good or for Bad it is 2022 For the many that somehow believe that 2022 will fix all the problems we encountered in 2021, let me ask you a question. How? Honestly, how do you expect the simple suns...
Thinking about the New Year Christmas is past the new year yet to begin, a time of limbo. Oh, for many it is a busy time prepping for a party or getting the new year plans established. Perhaps even pl...
Cast your bread upon the waters Cast your bread upon the waters and in time it will return. The idea is simple, invest in opportunities and in time you will reap the rewards. Invest in others and perh...
Merry Christmas Now if that phrase offends you, please feel free not to continue reading. I use Merry Christmas simply because I believe that this is a great time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Chris...
Looking over a cup of coffee This morning I wanted to write a post about self-centered, egotistical, rich brats. But the problem was I did not know if they were indeed such people. All I know is how t...
How we see ourselves Mental health has become a topic that is increasingly discussed openly. I expect some of that is due to the online talking to many versus the one on one that was more common. But...
To Celebrate 1: to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc. We are celebrating my birthday by going out to dinner. The family gathered to celebrate Christmas....
There are few of us who when we look back over our shoulders are unable to see at least a glimpse of the road not traveled. That road that could have been, a choice in time that would have changed eve...
This morning I really wanted to talk about stupid people. I really did, I wanted to just yell and display my frustration. But the problem is that after a little thought I determined that they weren’t...
Throughout life, we are often told to watch out for the enemy. Now this phrase comes in many different forms, but the idea remains relatively the same. The person or persons giving this direction whil...
On the way home from school my son asked me a hypothetical question regarding superpowers. And while we were discussing his thoughts I began to wonder if indeed perhaps there were real aspects to supe...
Promises are little statements that mean quite a lot to us. They are the phrases that enable us to believe in the security o the future. Promises are words and their meanings that we trust, we hold to...
Peering through the glass As I sit staring at my screen this morning, I wonder about the why of it all. I write because I desire to express my thoughts but then I often ask does anyone truly want to k...
We each in our own way have the need to resolve problems. We face generally a reasonable amount of situations that require our attention and unenviable more than a few of them need repair. We face the...
Hello and welcome to today's post on various and hopefully thought-provoking concepts. The general greeting we use when welcoming a person the single word hello has been in use since the early 1800s....
I have had the definition of friendship defined as someone who is willing to get up in the middle of the night to go to the middle of nowhere to give you a hand. And to be honest it seemed accurate. B...
Today as I sit pondering what to say, nothing comes to mind. No story or point rises to the top of my swirling thoughts. The jumble of ideas fail to coalesce so I simply type words, not ideas. My inte...
Camping, a traditional family adventure designed to instill fun and family unity. A time spent under rustic conditions establishing stories that unite the family through the years ahead. Camping. Stor...
There are times when it becomes necessary to just stop and watch a sunrise. To recognize the start of a new day and the beauty and promise it holds. Our days are easily filled with noise and confusion...
Yesterday I attended the third funeral in under two weeks and two more of my friends have passed. This causes one to think, to consider the nature of man. We die. It truly does not matter what kills u...
The old adage that “we can't see the forest for the trees” is often true, but what is to say we don't need to see both? Are there not times that we need to see both the big picture and the small? Do w...
There comes a time when one must stop and ponder, pause and think. Then begin to add one to another the things that are going well. To count the moments that are good and pleasant. And say, it is well...
Playing in tune Trying to convince someone that you are telling them the truth or at least persuade them that your position is valid is like playing an instrument. Each note we play must sound true. A...
A growing debate that is being bantered around is to what degree are you permitted to have differing opinions before they become public concerns. This debate is sometimes subtle while other times far...
More than a few months ago I wrote a post called “for the wages of sin is death”. This post was far from well-received. And that could be simply that it was not as well written as it could have been....
The Sound of Silence ", originally " The Sounds of Silence ", is a song by the American music duo, Simon & Garfunkel. The sound of silence is often considered a song about the difficulty of communicat...
The Sound of Silence ", originally " The Sounds of Silence ", is a song by the American music duo, Simon & Garfunkel. The sound of silence is often considered a song about the difficulty of communicat...
Each of us face days where, to be honest, we aren't having the best of times. Days that regardless of how we adjust our actions seem to simply go from not so great, to wow this is bad. These are the d...
As I sat down to write this morning I considered writing a simple yet angry letter about abortion. But as I thought of what I would say I felt that it would fail to help anyone. Anger does not help an...
You determine what today is Each morning we have the privilege of choosing how we will handle the day. That is not to say we will determine the events of the day, just how we handle them. Each day is...
I must admit to an unsettled morning. Not one full of frustration just one filled with thoughts that are perhaps unjust. My attempt to place one thought in front of another has become a complete waste...
Since the early 1980's there have been multiple studies looking into the idea of multiple types of intelligence. Whether this is simply the different ways intelligence is displayed or there are indeed...
I expect most of you if not all of you have had conversations about finding the truth. And I expect you have come across the statement “what is truth”. And I expect most of you have tried to simply ex...
The curse of the clock It seems that each day we are controlled by the clock. It dictates our lives calling out and demanding actions in accordance with its timetable. Get up it calls, go to work it d...
This is a strange concept, standing the test of time. We often consider books or songs to have stood the test of time if people still enjoy or use them after an extended amount of years. But is that t...
What is the future of you? What do you look forward to? In an ever-changing world that seems to stay the same, what piques your interest? What awaits you? Now some of you I expect are awaiting retirem...
Hebrews 11:1 teaches that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Faith is hope and evidence. Yet the problem we have is that it is also not tangible; we are un...
I was reminded last week of the benefits of smiling. The physical, emotional and, even the social benefits are worth the effort of actually smiling. Now with the mask mandates in place, smiling can be...
For what feels like the majority of my life I have been bombarded with statistics. A set of numbers intended to inform and direct my attention. From the ever-popular 9 out of 10 doctors to the more cl...
A bunch of years ago I wrote a series of essays entitled “The anvils ring”. The most noted and first essay was called the “Blacksmiths Apprentice”. With the last essay being called the “Black Iron Mis...
Well, once again morning has arrived. It seems to do that on a very regular basis. In fact, it appears to be a very normal event. Surprising given all the hoopla that has been thrown at us for the las...
Lately, I have been ruminating on the idea of personal branding. This idea of marketing not a product but self. No longer is the idea to market a product but a reputation. Now I realize that this is f...
Today, as I sat down to write, the only consistent thing I could think of was why. Why write anything? Why should I spend the time and thought attempting to place words on a page that generally fail t...
Let the storms come Each morning we get up and go to work, hoping to have a good day or a least one that doesn't create too many issues. We generally enjoy a week that goes by easily and smoothly, whe...
To be a voice of reason I have always believed it was my place to offer hope and peace to those around me. Not to say I have always been accurate at this. But it seems that it is a more beneficial pat...
Here we stand or sit, or well whatever, at the end of the 2020 year. A year that started with promise and opportunity. A year that held hope and a future. But here it is, ending with a whimper and bas...
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care with hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be t...
Well it is now December first and we all know what that means. It is the start of the parties, parties that we must attend, many we look forward to while others will be attended by that person. Yes, w...
Well, it's that time of year again, where we begin thinking and talking about the holidays. We each have our own celebrations that we have kept. These traditions are what help make this time of year s...
This weekend has been a bit rough. Saturday morning a good friend of mine died. Just over 48 hours later my grandfather passed. And for each in their own way, it was time, but for we, who remain, it w...
Depending on who wins your future could be gone with the wind. Your hope, peace, future all gone. Well, at least that is what you have been told these last few months and even years in some locations....
There are many ways to build and then destroy your reputation. Many of us have even taken classes on the subject in an attempt to avoid some of the more common options. I am sure that I am not alone i...
