“What Defines You? When Jesus saw him lying there and he learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?” John 5:6 While making his way to the Temple on a visit to Jerusalem, Jesus happened to be passing by the pool at … [Read more…]
Pumpkin Moons Last night, I saw a pumpkin moon. Well, I’m sure it wasn’t technically called a pumpkin moon, and it wasn’t actually last night because we were in the wee hours of the morning–but in my itchy-eyed newly yanked from dreams state, leading a giant horse of a puppy with an upset tummy around … [Read more…]
“Lies, Dang Lies, and Statistics” If you’ve spoken with me at all in the past couple of weeks, you’ve likely heard me talk about the statistics class I am currently taking. I have always been one of those strange people who enjoys mathematics, it has always come naturally to me. And since statistics is essentially … [Read more…]
“Milestones” That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize … [Read more…]
“Hanging By A Moment” It was a quick cut—a passing comment, really, that served as a glancing blow among preteen girls around a sticky Formica table in a crowded middle school cafeteria. Faces are now fuzzy, a kaleidoscope of teased hair and blue eyeshadow and jean jackets and Swatches. But the words are as searing … [Read more…]
“Changing Lanes” Coming to his hometown, (Jesus) began teaching the people in the synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with … [Read more…]
“Psalm 139 and the Whole Person” I’ve shared before that one of my favorite emails each week is a devotion written by a friend from college and a colleague of mine, Heather. Heather serves as a hospital chaplain in North Carolina. Heather’s message, part of a message she shared in a memorial service, is a … [Read more…]
“Words Matter” The other morning, while I was driving into town, I heard a conversation on the radio station about teachers. This week is teacher appreciation week, and the morning show was sharing stories about the impact of teachers in their lives, both good and bad. Some of the stories were about hurtful things teachers … [Read more…]
“General Happenings” The United Methodist General Conference has been meeting over the past 2 weeks. (Real quickly, for those not familiar, the General Conference is a gathering of representatives from across the globe the discuss and revise our Book of Discipline, the official rules, procedures, and teachings of the denomination. This meeting typically takes place … [Read more…]
“The Nature of Witness” So, for those of you who don’t know me well, I have a confession to make: I LOVE a good disaster or dystopian story. If meteors are barreling toward Earth, there’s been a nuclear meltdown, or society has been disrupted by an alien invasion–I’m totally in! For me, these stories are … [Read more…]