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It seemed like everyone felt God, except for me. Everyone had this amazing faith, except for me. Other people had answers, all I had were questions. I was going through a difficult time in my life. And this absence of divine feeling hurt. It felt like rejection. There is a theological concept called predestination that suggests some people are destined to connect with God and some are not. Paul wrote, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world…In love he predest

The door of the storage container creaked open reluctantly, revealing a dense expanse of boxes and furniture and random objects large and small - filling every little crevice. My back tightened in anticipation, and a question floated in the warm humid air. ”Am I strong enough for this?” I sighed a little prayer, “God, help me get this done.” I imagined the strength of Samson, lifting dressers overhead with one arm and slinging couches around like toys. But instead I received

I’m not sure anyone knew what to expect when God showed up. After months of building all sorts of ornate furnishings for the Tabernacle, Moses went about setting everything up. He lit the gold lamps, he put incense on the gold altar. He put God’s covenant with Israel, inscribed on stone tablets, inside a large gold box and covered it with something called the “table of atonement”. On top of that were two handmade gold cherubim, facing each other. The whole thing was surrounde

I once encountered a lion in the wild in Africa. I was safely in a truck, and he was lounging and completely unconcerned by my presence. But, as I listened to the rumble of his breath, I was holding mine. He was powerful and beautiful and feared none of the men or beasts that rustled in the brush around him. Sometimes I feel like there are a lot of dangers lurking in the brush around me, so many battles to be fought. I want a lion on my side. I want God to be a lion. The Plot

“Have a great day, grandpa!” The teacher said with a smile, as I dropped my six year old daughter off at school. I thought back to when I found out, at age 47, that I was having another child. People asked me how it felt to ‘start over;’ I wondered if I was up to the challenge. Our culture is obsessed with the One Big Moment. Luke blowing up the Death Star, a last second fumble on the goal line, a deathbed confession. Culminations Not Explosions Life has more gradual curves t

My day started at 7:17 a.m. with spam emails and depressing headlines, continued with a dozen meetings and a few hundred messages, and ended with a difference of opinion that seemed important at the time. When the day finally wound down, I decided to steal a few moments of quiet on my back porch. Staring at the trees, and trying to ignore the neighbor’s leaf blower, a lyric from a Turnpike Troubadours song struck me, “Don’t take it personal The world don’t turn around you Jus

Laying That Crushing Burden Down Riding in an Uber last week, I heard a song by Bad Bunny. I’m not familiar with Mr. Bunny’s work, but I did find myself tapping out the beat on the floorboard of Luis’s Hyundai Sonata. So imagine my disappointment later when my social media feed told me I was supposed to hate Bad Bunny. It is getting harder and harder to keep up with all the things I am supposed to hate. So far in the past twelve months, the list includes: Bad Bunny Kid Rock O

A Gut Punch Do you ever come across a particular situation or story that just sticks with you? Usually I can numbly skim tragic headlines, feel a flicker of sadness, then move on. But sometimes… Sometimes I encounter a situation or a story that I just cannot move past. Something about it breaks my heart. The shooting of Renee Good by agent Jonathan Ross was one of those stories. Judging by the discussion across the country over the past week, I am not alone. You may have stro

Planning Well and Surviving When Plans Fail “I love it when a plan comes together.” - Colonel Hannibal Smith (from the A-Team) I started with a blank whiteboard, and wrote the strange new number “2026” at the top. I’m a chronic planner, so the start of a new year was an irresistible occasion for a to-do list. But even as I started listing priorities and plans, I started thinking of all the things that might render my plans doomed or irrelevant. I thought of all the unexpected

Divine Treasures In Unexpected Moments I found myself on the steps of the centuries-old cathedral as the door swung open for the annual Christmas chorus. My solitary wandering around Old Town Santa Fe led me here, dodging the festive holiday crowd as they streamed inside. The event was sold out. But thanks to a kind usher and an unclaimed ticket, I slipped in just as the door closed, and took a seat intended for someone else. As the rustle of nine hundred or so attendees gr

Sometimes God Shows Up When We Get Away I am very busy. I’m not sure if that is a badge of honor or of shame. My particular flavor of busy often involves large meetings and airports and busy streets and crowded events. And it all seems to build to a crescendo late in the year. Ironically, it is often in these moments, surrounded by a crush of humanity and things made by human hands, that I feel the most alone. Loneliness is not just a lack of companionship, but a lack of conn

Linus was my favorite Peanuts character when I was a kid. I didn’t share his blanket attachment, but I loved his philosophical calmness — a rare trait in children’s characters, except for Pooh. Linus’ most memorable moment comes in “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. The other kids were worried about the perfect tree, the perfect decorations, the perfect Christmas performance - frazzled and frustrated and exhausted. In a calendar full of holidays, why should this one stand out? In

In the Fred Rogers movie biopic, there is a story about Mr. Rogers meeting reporter Tom Junod (who he called Lloyd) via phone, just one of hundreds of interviews Rogers gave over decades. Early in the conversation, there is this exchange: Rogers: “Do you know what the most important thing in the world is to me right now?” Tom Junod (Lloyd): “What?” Rogers: “Talking to Lloyd on the telephone.” That story hit my heart like a freight train. I spend much of my day interacting wit

Sometimes believing in a cosmic God is easier than believing in a personal God Prayer In A Storm One night several years ago, while backcountry camping along the Ocmulgee river, I found myself in the path of a tornado. My rain tarp was pounded with rain and wind, and the weather radio crackled with updates. The thunder demanded I run for shelter, but the darkness gave me nowhere to go. So, I did what I think most people would do in that situation. I prayed. This was not a pra

Jacob would have loved ChatGPT. Patriarch of Israel and grandson of Abraham, Jacob was a man of big dreams and complex schemes, always...

A couple of years ago I attempted a foolishly long backpacking trip during a fall drought. About ten miles in, my water ran very low. The...

The back door was just painted, but the scratches the dog left are still visible. It has been two years since she passed away. I do not...

God is not Republican, Democrat, or anywhere on the political spectrum. For Christians, faith must come before party loyalty. This post explores how placing spiritual identity above political identity frees us to see clearly, resist partisanship, and join God’s greater agenda of reconciliation — bringing peace beyond politics.

A few days ago I was getting my daughter ready for her first week of preschool. Backpack to hold things, blanket for rest time, water...

“Why are you still working?” I could not help but ask. My colleague didn’t need the money, but kept coming to work. I could ask the same...