It’s that cinematic celebration time of year again. We are now only days away from the Oscars. I watched its precursor, the foreign press’s Golden Globes. Did you tune in? I enjoy these cultural events; there always seems to be something worth noting. And no different this year—it arrived from the words of George Clooney. […]
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Mission Atrophy
I played football at Long Beach State University. A walk on, I fought my way up from the bottom rungs of the depth-chart to second string status; that is until I blew out a knee in the final Spring game. Ouch! It wasn’t the worst kind (medial collateral ligament tear), but it did require the […]
Continue readingMore TagReunion Worthy?
Been to a reunion lately? Designing a discipling path at Sandals Church, I had a light bulb moment regarding this notion, which I have deemed valuable. Trust me here. Making media history, the television show Lost became a cultural phenomenon, with a gigantic following boarding a plane to nowhere, or somewhere—it’s still hard to know […]
Continue readingMore TagComing Back to Life!
2013 ended in a good but surprising way. When I came back from my missions trip, I turned in manuscripts for a four-book series, thinking that it would be likely another six months before hearing back from my publisher (That is a typical waiting time for reaching what publishers call: “The cue.”). But a month […]
Continue readingMore TagSweet Chariot! (A 30,000-foot Conversation with a Muslim Friend).
Embarking from LAX, I found a seat on the Emirates airbus, only to find myself sandwiched by two rather intriguing international gentlemen. One, a broad-shouldered man from Nigeria, had me scrunched in the middle. During the sixteen-hour flight, he passed on all meals preferring shots of liquor instead. Not surprisingly, he slept most of the […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Journey Out of Dry
Have you ever found yourself in a spiritually dry period? This desert experience, where the “living water” promises of God appear like a mirage, is something all Christians face. My wife, who is super big into her devotions, recently confessed to being in a dry spell. Anyone who goes through this sort of parched season […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat I Have Learned From Autism
When he was four years old, my wife and I began to zero-in on the uniqueness of our firstborn son. Matthew’s peculiar patterns started to emerge with greater clarity and confusion, leading two concerned parents into the doctor’s office for testing and evaluation. Learning about Asperger’s Syndrome has been an education. But not just about […]
Continue readingMore TagTapping Living Water in the Church
While visiting Israel, a man observed the newly excavated lower aqueduct, which originally linked Solomon’s pools to the Jewish temple. Being both ignorant and inquisitive, he inquired with a local resident the purpose for the aqueduct being connected to the temple. From this simple question, he unearthed an intriguing response. The man said, “In the […]
Continue readingMore TagThe “Useless” Feeling – Part 2
In a first season Lost episode, one-hit-wonder rock star Charlie, while in the initial stage of kicking a heroin habit, mentions feeling useless. When you can hardly make it an hour, or a day without a fix, or if you are constantly reminded of the shameful things you have done, or if you have emotional […]
Continue readingMore TagThe “Useless” Feeling – Part 1
Why do Christians feel useless? Two very interesting ideas pop immediately into my head. First, many believers have never experienced mission success. One day while training a small group on evangelistic engagement, I asked the members what would help them grow in faith-sharing confidence. One guy replied, “Actually reaching someone.” His honesty was poignant and […]
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