Crossing 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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Out with the Old

2021 has been a challenging year at our house. So challenging that I have been on a hiatus from blogging. New Year’s eve seems an appropriate day to get back in the saddle. At our house, we have had two parents pass away and my wife has experienced a return of cancer. In addition like you, we have faced the trials and turns that come every year. The good news…

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You Never Know What Will Happen!

I have not written a blog post for over six weeks. Change has come to our household, and seemingly it has come quite suddenly. In a month, my wife’s mother passed away, her father was diagnosed with dementia and needed around-the-clock care, and as a result, my wife has retired from her hospital chaplaincy position. In the last few weeks, we have mostly lived out of my in-law’s house as…

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Where Do you Take Refuge?

There is a verse tucked into Psalm 73 it is located at the 28th verse: “But as for me, it is good to be near God.    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;    I will tell of all your deeds.” As I think about the many things that go into making up our lives, I have discovered that though many ignore it, the spiritual aspect of life is vitally important. On any given…

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Looking Back and Looking Ahead: The Lord Has Been Good!

I was recently on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University for a trustee meeting and graduation weekend. Whenever I am on campus, it causes me to reflect on the goodness of God. I first visited the campus when I was in the eighth grade over fifty years ago. I well remember my freshman year and that I was so out of my element. Little did I know that my life…

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Gratitude: The gift that keeps on Giving!

Gratitude seems to be a boundary marker for our lives. An attitude of gratitude seems to color everything in our world. Kindness, grace, peace, and a sense of calm are just a few of the attributes that are evident in the lives of people who exercise gratitude. The Bible is filled with passages that lead us in this direction as well: Psalm 7:17 I will give thanks to the Lord because of…

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The Danger of Self-Pity

Let’s face it, we have all fallen victim to feeling sorry for ourselves. There is an interesting quote by John Gardiner “Self-pity is easily the most destructive of the non-pharmaceutical narcotics; it is addictive, gives momentary pleasure and separates the victim from reality.” Amy Morin in her book 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t do offers a checklist to help us determine if we are susceptible to self-pity: You tend…

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One Day At A Time

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matthew 6:34 (NIV) We have been wondering for over one year what is going to happen next? How is this pandemic going to end? How will it change things? These and a host of other questions have been pondered by many. Living one day at a time is not only…

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The Power of Encouragement

Criticism and complaint seem to be the order of the day. It is easy for us to get into the habit of complaining, finding fault, and being generally disagreeable. One thing is sure you and I have a choice. It is just as easy to be an encourager as it to be a complainer. I understand that it is appropriate to ask questions, give honest assessments, and voice our disagreement.…

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A Distant Country

Recently while rereading the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, I was struck by the statement from Jesus that the prodigal left home for a “distant country.” Now, depending upon what translation you are reading, it can also be translated as a “far off country.” In essence, he ran away from home. He asked for his share of the inheritance and left home. Have you ever run away…

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