Archive | January 2012

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Talking is good, but living is better

Talking is good, but living is better

I know people who talk a lot. They can talk all day long about the things they can do and the places they’ve been, but when it comes down to actual action or serving someone else, they seem to forget everything they claimed to be. I’ve even met people who talk about loving to travel [...]

Being patient with other Christians

Being patient with other Christians

Do you ever get frustrated with other Christians? I do. There are so many Christians out there who profess Christ but don’t follow Him. There are so many Christians who’ve been in church for years who have no concept of what true service is. There are so many Christians who know the Bible but haven’t [...]

The only throne room where boldness won’t get you flayed alive

The only throne room where boldness won’t get you flayed alive

One of my favorite places in the world is the Mayan ruins of Tikal in Peten, Guatemala. I love history and ancient cultures, and Tikal is a spectacular place to study both of those things, an amazing reminder that no matter how great a civilization may become they are still vulnerable when they have no [...]

Remember. Hope. Wait.

Remember. Hope. Wait.

How awful would it be to have to live the same day over and over again? I mean, I can only count on my hand the days that were so good I would have wanted to experience them over and over. The majority of the time, while I’m thankful for the day, I’m also very [...]

A mind like an elephant?

A mind like an elephant?

Elephants never forget, right? That’s what people say, at least. I think it has something to do with how they can remember places and locations like traditional walking paths and burial grounds. Apparently, they just have really good memories. And that’s more than I can say for some of us human types. People forget things [...]

Kicking people while they’re down

Kicking people while they’re down

Living a real Christian life isn’t easy. It never has been, and it never will be because we live in a broken world and because we have two natures constantly warring inside us. Once we decided to follow Christ, we received the Holy Spirit. So we have God’s spirit in us. But that doesn’t get [...]

Obeying God isn’t a game of hide and seek.

Obeying God isn’t a game of hide and seek.

Wouldn’t it be nice if God would tell us clearly what He wanted us to do? I mean, beyond the obvious. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Don’t murder. Love Him. Love others. Those are obvious. Those are the ones we all know, whether we follow Him or not. But what about the specifics? There are millions [...]

Do Twizzlers grow on trees?

Do Twizzlers grow on trees?

If I told you a saw a tree that grew Twizzlers would you believe me? What if I showed you a picture? Would you believe me then? Or would you have to see it for yourself?   I am amazed how much easier it is to believe something once you see it. Why is that? [...]

No request too small

No request too small

When I was younger, I wasn’t sure what I could pray about. As a child, I really didn’t have any needs. My family was as functional as it could be, not perfect but operative. We had food. We had clothes. I was getting an education and receiving enough attention. So I never really prayed for [...]

Escape routes are only useful if you recognize them

Escape routes are only useful if you recognize them

Every time I watch an action movie, there’s always some point where the hero needs to escape. Not necessarily retreat. But escape a falling building or escape a burning car or escape from the bad guy’s hideout. It never fails. And I can’t help feeling that if we only needed to escape from physical danger, [...]