I am telling my friends I am living the retired life, and I currently have training wheels attached. I was barely into retirement when asked to fill in for a friend while he took a medical leave. I have committed to staying on until his replacement is elected in mid-July. During this phase of my life, I have discovered some things that are helping me navigate the change and adapt.…
Read MoreA Few lessons Learned from a Wilderness Experience
During the Lenten season, I have been reading a devotional book centered on Jesus’ temptation by the Devil in the wilderness. He was alone, and He became hungry, and He went through a time of testing. Throughout the history of God’s people, there have been wilderness times of trial and testing. Moses seemed to spend considerable time in the Wilderness: 22 Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and…
Read MoreRetreat to Win
A step back is not necessarily a sign of weakness or defeat. There is a need in our world to reflect and take a deep breath. Those of us who love to push ahead and keep pressing on, the need to hit the pause button and take some time to think unhurriedly. It is very appropriate at specific points to take a time out. It is okay to step back…
Read MoreWhat is your Influence Story
Someone, several in fact has influenced all of us in ways large and small! It starts at birth; parents and other family members affect us significantly. In life, we develop friendships and have teachers, pastors, neighbors, and others who make a difference. The opposite is also a fact: you and I have influenced others. Humans require connections. Even the timid crave connection. As I reflect on the years, several people…
Read MoreNotes In My Pocket Forty Years Ago!
As I was transitioning from my last position, I had the task of letting go of my files for the past forty-plus years. To see all of your working life disappear was somewhat disconcerting. As I was casting a file folder away, a group of unlined notecards fell onto the floor of my office. When I saw them, I immediately remembered them. Instead of throwing them out, I kept them…
Read MoreLosing Control
These two stories take place on the water. Jesus and His disciples and lessons to be learned. Being a disciple of Jesus does not mean that you know all you need to know on day one. Trusting Christ and relying upon Him totally seems to be a process reinforced by the reality of life and our growing dependence on Christ. The disciples did not put their faith in Jesus all…
Read MoreWhat Do You See
Have you ever noticed that people have a tendency to see what they are looking for? Observation is not a neutral activity. There can be several witnesses to an event and each describes what happened differently. Yes, there are some similarities and much of what is described is identical. Yet at times, it seems they are describing different events. There are a lot of factors that go into this reality,…
Read MoreA Prayer that needs to be prayed!
Recently, I have been looking at the prayers of the Apostle Paul. One of my favorites is found in the book of Philippians: “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes…
Read MoreOther Sheep
When I was young the denominational missionary magazine was entitled “Other Sheep” which is taken from the words of Jesus John 10: 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. Today I find myself…
Read MoreCrossing a Threshold
How often do we journey over, across, and through thresholds in our lives? In my life, I have crossed from infancy to childhood, teenage years, college, adult, husband, father, pastor, and so forth. A simple place to start is with the dictionary definition of threshold: “the sill of a doorway.the entrance to a house or building.any place or point of entering or beginning” Often the transition from one place to…
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