Last Tuesday I contracted a severe case of hiccups. Now before you laugh, I assure you this was no small thing. Hiccups result from a sudden and involuntary contraction of the diaphragm and intercostal muscles. It not only made life difficult on me, but also on anyone around me. It really was annoyingly loud and…
Church Blog (Page 12)
“Fight, fight, fight…” I can remember the chant from elementary school. It signaled that two kids were going to meet back near the juniper bushes after class. (This was back in the days when kids walked home after school.) Everybody would come running and form a circle of excited spectators. We didn’t care about the…
Dearly Beloved, How can a “fat chance” and a “slim chance” mean the same thing? Can you imagine someone coming to the US and trying to understand how they basically do mean the same thing? Most of us know that they are idiomatic expressions used to describe the probability or likelihood of something happening. A…
“Just keep your eyes closed”, Valorie whispered in my ear as I dozed in the back of the crowded taxi. We had been travelling to Northern Iraq for about 48 hours without any significant sleep. From the airport our host had told the taxi driver to “drive fast” for the two hour trip to get…
Dear Friends, What if it is true that Jesus died for sinners, that the tomb is empty, that the demand for justice was satisfied, and that He lives forever? What are the implications for you and the rest of humanity? It means that salvation is available to all people who believe in Christ as their…
Dear Christ Followers, Are you the “real deal?” This phrase is used frequently and can be applied to a variety of contexts, such as in sports, relationships, politics, and in business. When someone says that another person is the “real deal,” it means that they are genuinely authentic, true to themselves, their beliefs, and their…
Dearly Beloved, Whatever? What does the word “whatever” communicate? As you know it can vary depending on the context in which it is used and the tone of voice used when saying it. In some instances, “whatever” can be used as a dismissive response to indicate that the speaker is not interested in continuing the…
Hey Church Family, Last summer we spent some family time at Lake Tahoe and swam at Kiva Beach. Here’s a picture. That’s my nephew Drew stepping out of the water in the black and gray rashguard. My other nephew Josh is right behind him in navy blue. Tahoe is one of the deepest lakes in…
Dearly Beloved, When was the last time you were betrayed and undercut? Last year, last week, yesterday, and today isn’t over yet? I’m not a country music fan, but I know most of the story lines and they go something like – “I loved her, but she didn’t love me; she took off with my…
Dear Friends, I have a sneaking suspicion that most of you will not be able to tell me the author of the following quotes! Perhaps you’ll be shocked and surprised. “We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” “Love your Enemies, for they tell you your Faults.” “He that…