Love is the overflow of joy in God! It is not duty for duty’s sake, or right for right’s sake. It is not a resolute abandoning of one’s own good with a view solely to the good of the other person. It is first a deeply satisfying experience of the fullness of God’s grace, and then a […]
Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is the most essential part. –Andrew Murray, pastor and author And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the […]
I admit—it sounds terribly appealing. You know, the idea that all paths lead to God, that at their core we find no intrinsic differences between belief systems. I mean, if we can all accept this reality and just get along with one another, wouldn’t this world be a much better place? While generally embracing nebulous […]
Brrr! It is COLD in western Pennsylvania. Last night the temperature dropped to -9°. It hasn’t been that cold here in over 20 years! This morning, my car didn’t want to start any more than I wanted to go outside. Last night, during the news reports about our current “polar vortex”, a commercial kept airing […]
George Zimmerman: found by a jury to be not guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin. Was justice served? Personally, I don’t see how the jury could have convicted Zimmerman of murder; there simply wasn’t enough hard evidence. That’s probably why the authorities seemed to be so reluctant to file charges. At the same time, I think […]
I love the God of the Old Testament! Honestly, I do. I suppose that some people will imagine me to be a judgmental enforcer of rules—or perhaps a really cruel-hearted guy with violent tendencies. Those prone to stereotyping might picture me carrying a protest sign alongside the members of Westboro Baptist Church—you know, that mean-spirited group […]
The air was thick with tension, but our hearts brimmed with hopeful optimism. Our beloved Pittsburgh Steelers had fought a tough game against their arch-rivals the Baltimore Ravens. Now the game was coming down to a doable 42-yard field goal attempt for the Pittsburgh win. The Steelers began to line up, but then ding-dong–our doorbell […]
I lied the other day. Now don’t get me wrong. I am not in the habit of lying, and on a scale of 1 to 10 in importance, this particular fib probably came in at around a 1.5. But it was a lie nonetheless. I had found myself in an awkward situation and before I […]
We hear it all the time—obesity is a leading cause of health problems in our day. The experts tell us to shed the pounds, but everywhere we turn we’re bombarded with messages to the contrary. “Eat!” they tell us. “Our sumptuous treats will make your life full and complete!” I’m not saying that physical weight […]
