Category Archives: Friends

Merry Christmas!

Here is this year’s Christmas photo and letter… xx

Peace Officers Memorial Benediction

Prayed at this afternoons service… As your people in ancient times said, YaHWeH eka rophe, we say today, “Lord our healer,” and thank you for being present with us this day, and with families across this county and country who still hurt because of the loss of a loved one who served us. Be our [...]

Deal With It

James 5:13-20 September 27, 2009 Augustine, the fourth century Bishop of the Church in Hippo, Africa (modern-day Annaba, Algeria), said, “Thou hast made us for Thyself, and our heart is restless till it rest in Thee.” This seems related to the much older rabbinical teaching that a man cannot be healed until he deals with [...]

Where Have You Been?

“Where Have You Been?” James 3:1-12 September 13, 2009 Homecoming Sunday Mark Twain once said that “it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.” He probably shouldn’t have said that since it very likely offended someone. It is so easy to say [...]

The Negative Beatitudes

During devotions this morning at the Police Department, in trying to explain the beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-11) to a friend, the following occurred to me as a way to read the core teaching of Jesus: Happiness isn’t in wealth. Peace doesn’t come from never having friends and family die. There is no rapture in having the [...]

$1.99 Verizon Data Charge

This month, for the first time ever, each of our Verizon cell phone numbers were charged $1.99 for a data usage charge. After checking, a data charge of $1.99 is for connecting to the internet with your phone and using between 1B and 1MB of data. But we specifically asked to have internet blocked from [...]

The Worst Vanity

My sermon yesterday was from 2 Corinthians 6:1-13 and was about not receiving the grace of God in vain. That’s a curious phrase, “we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.” Paul doesn’t seem to be saying that grace can be lost. What he is saying is that grace must [...]

Devotions at the PD

Devotions at the Police Department are a new kind of thing for me. I mean, I’ve been doing devotions with the officers for years now but it’s always a different devotional experience. A little rougher; a little more in your face; a bit more basic. For example, a guy finds one of last Thursday’s passages [...]

Facebook…

…disabled my account for posting too much. Said it was abusive behavior. I made about a dozen comments in response to people’s posts on my Wall, answering questions. That’s abusive? They don’t know what abusive is. Whatever. Fail. I was locked out because I was posting comments, links, and finally three (That’s right. Three.)  “what’s [...]

You’re Invited!

Susan and I pray for you a blessed Christmas and hope you will make time to join us in our home for fellowship and food on Saturday, December 13, 2008. Come any time between 4:00 and 7:00pm or stay the entire time. Please RSVP by Friday the 12th at 336-226-8240 or email me or leave [...]