Happiness

I just experienced a great birthday weekend. It’s been a rough couple of weeks, so part of the birthday present was a conscious effort to focus on positivity – positive thoughts, fun activities, and paying attention to what I needed to do to enjoy life. It didn’t take too much effort, and it worked! Despite a couple distressing things happening over the past two days, I have felt happier, “lighter”, and more in control of my life than I would have otherwise. The funny thing about the Kingdom of God that Jesus promises is coming soon is that it’s already…
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Stuck in the Mud, in a Pit, in a War

Lately, Jeremiah’s situation right before the fall of Jerusalem has been speaking to me. The whole situation surrounding Jerusalem’s fall in 587 BCE was terrible: The Jewish people, under the leadership of King Zedekiah, had revolted against Babylonian leadership and allied with Egypt (against God’s wishes, of course). Babylon responded by seeking a more complete control over its newly acquired territory, laying siege to Jerusalem for over two years. The city’s resources were strained to the breaking point; living conditions were abysmal. No one could see any hope unless the Egyptian army came to save them. In the midst of…
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Why Lent Still Matters

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worldview/why-lent-still-matters   The first time I observed Lent over 10 years ago, I attended an Ash Wednesday service. Ashes were applied to my head and words were spoken over me, “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” I learned in a new way that I am a mere mortal, and at same time created in the image of God  […] http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/worldview/why-lent-still-matters

Karaoke and Saving Lives

http://www.mattmeadmedia.com/2014/09/10/karaoke-and-saving-lives-a-brief-story-from-last-weekend/ There was one guy wearing dress pants and a dress shirt who had been in and out the venue all night. I figured he was a friend of a friend that had heard about how wildly great karaoke is at this place and decided to check it out, but he never danced or sang. At the end of the night, my friend asked if he wanted to sing something before they shut it down. At this point it was just me, my two friends who manage the venue and the DJ. The man declined, creating a long awkward pause…
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Prayer Cards

I created these prayer cards to help teach children and youth different ways of praying. They’re not meant to be technically accurate – only to be an introduction to prayer. The blank space in the lower right can be used as a “prayer wildcard” – a reminder that we don’t have to pray in a specific way for God to hear us! Prayer Cards PDF (Color) Prayer Cards PDF (Black and White)

Justice Like Water

“Jarvious Cotton cannot vote. Like his father, grandfather, great- grandfather, and great- great- grandfather, he has been denied the right to participate in our electoral democracy. Cotton’s family tree tells the story of several generations of black men who were born in the United States but who were denied the most basic freedom that democracy promises— the freedom to vote for those who will make the rules and laws that govern one’s life. Cotton’s great- great- grandfather could not vote as a slave. His great- grandfather was beaten to death by the Ku Klux Klan for attempting to vote. His…
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