Purpose and Politics

Many know I’m not crazy about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. During the campaign season, my mantra was, “I’m afraid it’ll come down to Trump and Clinton.” See kids, nightmares can come true. Just keep believing 😉 Now that we’re past all hope of not electing Trump or Clinton, I pray for Trump and our…

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Change or Die: A Post-Christmas Wrap Up

This past weekend, I wrote a piece for the religion column of our local paper.  The following is an excerpt with a link to the full article *** Two years ago, I introduced my daughter to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. We read the book then watched some film versions. The 2009 animated version (with Jim…

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God Has the Last Laugh

In Genesis 18, the Lord (in the form of 3 men) visits Abraham. The Lord restates His promise that Abraham will have a son by Sarah and says this will happen in a year (Gen. 18:10). When Sarah hears this, she laughs: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I…

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When I Consider How My Light Is Spent

John Milton was a Christian and poet in the 1600’s.  By age 44, he went blind.  Milton wondered if he could continue serving God without eyesight.  Sometimes, he simply felt useless. Milton’s anxiety and grief spill out in his 19th sonnet: “When I consider how my light is spent.”  The sonnet ends with the Lord’s…

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Bah! Humbug!

It’s Christmastime again.   Besides music, colored lights, trees sprouting indoors, and avalanching sweets, there’s another cue to the season: snide comments about commercialism. Commercialism is a real problem. I don’t deny that.   Humanity’s loyalty has long been divided between God and mammon (Matt. 6:24). As they say, nothing is sacred. Consumption and material…

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I’m Gettin’ Nuttin’ for Christmas

Originally posted on The Voice of One:
? Last December, I had to discipline my four year old son. (I can’t even remember why). I could not have guessed what happened next. He teared up and asked if he would still get Christmas presents. I was shocked. My wife and I *never* leveraged Christmas gifts…

The AMEN

“The Messiah” is a piece of music by George Frideric Handel for chorus and orchestra. It is traditionally performed during the Christmas season.  The words all come from scripture. Charles Jennens selected the verses and arranged their order. Beginning with old testament passages, the lyrics tell the story of Christ: from prophecies to His passion,…

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Waiting for Snow

Photo by Carrie McKamey “WHAT A GYP!!” With raised fist and gnarled face I accuse the skies. I have been waiting for snow, wishing for snow, praying, hoping, and fishing for snow. I have been daring snow, oh where-ing snow, and (for reverse psychology’s sake) not-give-a-care-ing snow. All this and not one single flake. But…

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(In)Fidel Castro

Since his death last week, there has been no shortage of fawning news articles about Fidel Castro.  (And no, these weren’t Cuban news articles. They were American).   I had the distinct displeasure of reading two of them recently.  One opened by calling Castro a fiery apostle of revolution.  The other went on and on…

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A Cut Above the Rest

“This is My covenant, which you are to keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every one of your males must be circumcised. You must circumcise the flesh of your foreskin to serve as a sign of the covenant between Me and you” (Gen. 17:10-11). Genesis 17 introduces circumcision. The flesh of…

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