After celebrating Passover with his disciples, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He took with Him Peter, James, and John. Jesus was filled with sorrow and was overwhelmed with what was awaiting Him. He asked His friends to keep watch with Him. The picture from the garden is quite dramatic: He is praying to the Father with His face to the ground. His Prayer? “Father, if it…
Read MoreWere You There?
Palm Sunday is past. The entry into Jerusalem, somewhat like a parade amidst the crowds shouting Hosanna, is now a dim memory. A habit I developed years ago was working my way through the Gospel accounts of the events of Holy Week, including Jesus’ teaching, arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. The Gospels spend much time recounting the week’s events that changed the world. Though I have known the story for…
Read MoreTake Me Out To The Ballgame!
Today Susanne and I will attend the Detroit Tigers’ opening baseball game. This year will be somewhat different. We attended the Tigers’ home openers for many years while pastoring in metro Detroit. Today we will be attending their first game of the season, and it just happens to be at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, home of the Tamp Bay Rays. Susanne and I will be sporting our Detroit…
Read MoreRoad Construction Ahead!
Mrs. Blake and I are preparing for our twice-yearly migration pattern: south to north in five weeks and then north to south at the end of summer. This will be our first entire cycle of migration. One thing you always see when driving the highways is ubiquitous “orange barrels.” They seem to sprout up like tulips this time of year. We like the finished project and the accompanying improvements, but…
Read MoreFive Hundred Blog Posts
500! A couple of days ago, I posted my 500th blog article. Since I lived twice in Indianapolis, I thought I would commemorate by including a picture from the Indy 500 race. In late 2014 I decided I would write a couple of blog posts. The origins of Wesley’s Horse came from days working for the Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center. The name came to me via Bryon…
Read MoreThey tell me it is Spring
First came the annual time change festivities, the routine: fall-back and spring-ahead. In basketball, it is March madness. Christians are deep into the Lenten season. For most of my life, I lived in the part of the world where there were four distinct seasons, which periodically would all visit on the same day. I now live where seasons do change, just not as dramatically and noticeably. Springtime is a welcome…
Read MoreLife Lessons learned from jig-saw puzzles!
One of the things that Susanne and I have taken up in our early retirement days is putting jigsaw puzzles together. Before retiring, the last time I worked on a puzzle was in my pre-school days. I had no interest whatsoever in putting a puzzle together. Susanne, likewise, was a puzzle assembly novice. When we spent a few weeks last summer in the Chicago area, we decided to ‘do a…
Read MoreIf it needs to be done, put it on your calendar!
What happens when your calendar marries your to-do list? Action and accomplishment are birthed! Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else. This quote is attributed to Peter Drucker. Time management and self-management are so intertwined that they are indistinguishable. Everything I have ever read regarding time management boiled down to my ability to manage myself. Time is a precious commodity. One can feel it slipping away moment by…
Read MoreTransformation Living: the List and the Lesson
As a lifelong rule-follower and list maker, this passage from the book of 2 Peter has always intrigued me. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from…
Read MoreIs Quitting an option?
I must admit there have been times when I wanted to quit. If you look in certain places in our homes, you will find some discarded items that were once part of something we thought we would enjoy and master: musical instruments, sports equipment, and a host of hobby paraphernalia. Is it appropriate at times to quit? I have heard all the cliches regarding giving up on something:…
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