There are two different types of people in the world. Those who approach movies as a momentary distraction from real life and those who allow movies to become a momentary transport to a different life altogether. I am absolutely the latter. So, if you ever happen to be walking out of a movie theater and see some fool scampering around the parking lot like a ninja, staring down other movie goers...
The BIBLE (A Word for Today)
I love the Bible. I have for as long as I can remember. I still have the first Bible I remember receiving. It is a navy blue, bonded leather, King James Version. Even in a day when it was somewhat frowned upon, I personalized it by putting my Sunday school stickers on the cover. All of them have bees on them with a phrase inspired by the “be attitudes” found in Matthew 5:3-12. I’m not exactly...
Not Perfect, but Better than Them
Perusing social media has become an important part of my daily routine. It allows me to stay connected with friends and family around the globe. It alerts me to goings on in the world in which they live. And while social media is a terrible source for finding fact-based world news, it does provide a very interesting window into the way people are processing said news. In recent months, and years...
Moments in the Middle
In the early 90’s, the band Live released a song entitled “Lightning Crashes.” The song paints a very interesting and emotional picture for the listener. Throughout the song, the artist paints a contrasting picture of two major life experiences. At one moment, he sings of the potential and hope present at the birth of a new baby. The next, he turns his attention to the loss and finality felt at...
Knowledge Is Power
During my time as a pastor, there have been many instances where I was responsible for raising funds to help off-set the cost of mission trips or other church related activities. One of the more common methods of raising support was to essentially hire the youth and young adults of the church out to members of the community to do odd jobs. Some jobs were odder than others, but the oddest...
Potholes
Driving during the winter months can be quite the exciting adventure in the northern half of the United States. The impact of rain, snow, ice, and heavy metal blades attached to heavy trucks scraping over the surface result in roads speckled with potholes of all shapes and sizes. It is true that potholes aren’t a joy reserved exclusively for winter, but winter is the time when what were little...
Excellence We Love to Hate
There is something about excellence that evokes strong feelings of discomfort and/or disdain in people. We love to hate winners. Nothing will cause people to question your methods and motives like sustained success. This all started to come into focus for me last night as I was enduring yet another Super Bowl featuring the much-maligned New England Patriots. As we prepared for the big game over...
Competitors or Collaborators
Our society thrives on competition. There seems to be no end to the means through which our competitive streak runs. It can be observed in academics as students and parents alike tout the many accomplishments through the wonder of social media. It can also be seen in athletics on the local, national, and international level; not simply through the actions and attitudes of participants, but also...
Clear a Path
Winter arrived in southern Indiana in dramatic fashion this past weekend! Like most other folk, I found myself questioning the veracity of the forecasts coming from the host of meteorologists. In a scene closely mirroring the story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf, the “experts” have been prone to sensationalize the forecast in recent years. This has incited multiple runs on local grocery stores for...
A Challenge That Matters
If you spend any time on Facebook, you may have noticed a recent trend that’s taking the web by storm. It seems like every week there is a new challenge, baiting people into doing crazy dances, lip syncing to pop songs, dumping buckets of ice-water on their heads, or other random acts of tomfoolery. While the tone of that last sentence might cause one to believe I am against such displays of...
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