“How Odd of God”I spend a lot of time thinking about God – I suppose it goes with the my life’s work - I don’t know . . . .  A few weeks ago, I was struck with the phrase “the problem with God”, and then “a really cool thing about God.”  Well, it has hit me again today.   “How odd of God!”Phillip Yancey’s book, “Reaching for the Invisible God”, is a good read and I have so many highlights and mark...  Read More

I have often found myself saying, “Well, it’s back to square one . . . again!”  It seems that far too many of us find ourselves “starting over again and again.”  Now, don’t get me wrong, as I have already confessed, I have spent my share of time going back to some sort of “square one.”  We have to start someplace and “square one” is, as far as I know, the only place to do so. My thought today is t...  Read More

“It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. . . .”C. S. Lewis. “A Mind Awake.”So, evidently, we have something of a choice here: We can celebrate the “good that God offers us” or we can wish for something else, “some other good.”  Although our “some other good” is always something less than what God intends...  Read More

Several years ago Anthony Campolo made famous the saying, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming!”  He said this as it relates to the horror and sadness of Good Friday  compared to the joy and celebration of the Easter resurrection.  I am not sure it is original with Campolo, but he was the first person I ever heard make the statement.  Well, as I sit here early on Sunday morning I realize that Monday’s...  Read More

God is not a quitter!  He does not give up easily.  We have seen that as we read Exodus and it will be equally clear as we move on to Numbers.  God does not give up!  One of the verses that I read almost daily is from Lamentations 3:22-24:“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.I say to myself, “The...  Read More

“The "Problem" With God?”I don’t know.  Not sure I would have had the courage to put that in print, but Philip Yancey put it out there in front of God and everybody.  He suggests that there is a potential “'problem' with God.”  Here is a quote from Yancy:“The only thing more difficult than having a relationship with an invisible God is having no such relationship.”Philip Yancey. “Reaching for the ...  Read More

“. . . full speed ahead . . . !”So, here we are again, COVID 2, I suppose you could call it that.  Or maybe COVID 3 or 4 . . . forgive me if I seem to have lost track.  Interestingly, we now seem less interested in where this mysterious virus originated than in when this mysterious virus will behave itself and go back to wherever it originated!  Honestly, I am tired of COVID “number” whatever!That...  Read More

“Grace – The Art of Becoming”Lately, in my morning prayers and thoughts, I have been further exploring this beautiful ,and too often diminished word, GRACE.  Grace is the unmerited favor of God for the world in which we live (John3:16).  With the following chorus to her hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,” Julie Johnston places grace at the heart of our faith:Grace, grace, God’s grace,Grace that wil...  Read More

“2022 - And so it Begins . . . “2022 is here . . . perhaps before we are really prepared for it! Not to fear . . . I have a feeling that things will not change all that much as we turn the pages of the calendar.  Our feeble efforts to manage our lives by dividing time into decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds – and if one is a competitor, split seconds - is really artificia...  Read More

“A Song for Christmas”Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Sing this Christmas morn.Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Christ the Lord is born.Singing on the journey . . .Pastor J K...  Read More

“Be Born in Us Today!”“If Christianity was something we were making up,  of course we could make it easier.”C. S. Lewis was, I think, on to something with that comment.  Hardly any of us would have thought to make the message of Christ so complicated and challenging:  a virgin birth, of all things; angels singing to, of all people, lowly shepherds;  strangers traveling so many miles over such roug...  Read More

“I'm dreaming tonightOf a place I likeEven more than I usually doAnd though I know it's a long way backI promise you...I'll be home for ChristmasYou can plan on mePlease have snow and mistletoeAnd presents on the treeChristmas Eve will find meWhere the love light gleamsI'll be home for ChristmasIf only in my dreams”“I’ll be home for Christmas . . . .”  It was something of a promise from a soldier ...  Read More