I’m a big fan of Greg Laurie – mostly because he’s such a big fan of Jesus – so I was eager to read and review the START Bible. The introductions to each book of the Bible are short, but manage to get at the heart of what it means to live in a relationship … Continue reading »
The Righteous Remnant
The election is in one week and I think it would be accurate to say there is a lot of prayer being sent up like bowls of incense right now. I think it’s also accurate to say that there are mixed messages in those bowls. We often don’t know just how to pray for our nation. As … Continue reading »
Multi-Kulti, R.I.P.
Recently German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the multicultural experiment in Germany has “utterly failed.” I’m not sure what she expected. After all, how exactly is a Muslim Turk living in Berlin supposed to define himself? John F. Kennedy may have charmed the world when he made his famous statement, but Idoubt that today’s non-native residents of … Continue reading »
1:42 Sermon
Law…less
I finished reading Perry and this has to be the worst case I have ever read. It’s not so much the conclusion that bothers me (though it does) but that nothing in this opinion resembles the type of careful legal analysis one would expect when arriving at a decision of such magnitude. The opinion – and that is exactly what it is, an … Continue reading »
We're all statists now
I am reading through Perry v. Schwarzenegger, the long-awaited decision on the fate of California’s Prop 8. As it turns out, the opinion is a 136-page intolerant rant on the evils of intolerance. Check out this jaw dropper: “Civil law has always been supreme in defining and regulating marriage…Any clerics, ministers, rabbis, et cetera, that were … Continue reading »
Of a different Spirit
…my servant Caleb has a diferent spirit and follows me wholeheartedly… (Numbers 14:24) A friend of mine was fired yesterday. She worked on Capitol Hill, so it goes without saying that her work environment was challenging and her boss demanding. She had no warning she would be let go. No notice she had done anything wrong; she … Continue reading »
Extremist for Love
Was not Jesus an extremist for love: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” Was not Amos an extremist for justice: “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Was not Paul … Continue reading »
Processing
This weekend I flew to Minneapolis for the Starting Right conference. I took 15 pages of notes, which will probably take me 15 years to process. Speaking of process, the first line of my notes reads “process before product.” When people say things like “it’s all about the process, not the end product,” I assume … Continue reading »
Eyes Wide Shut
When you hold up a sign opposing abortion, there is a good chance you will get some feedback. For reasons I have yet to figure out, seemingly rational people will get in your face to tell you that a mother has a right to pay to have her unborn child killed and evacuated from her womb when and … Continue reading »
We the People
Now that health care reform legislation has been signed into law, a growing number of states are enacting “opt out” bills. These are measures passed by state legislatures permitting state residents to comply with the federal requirement to purchase health insurance…or not. I find it incredibly ironic that most of the support for these measures … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 22
Three weeks into the financial fast. Ten days left. This has been a period of recognizing how deeply entrenched I allowed myself to become in our consumer culture. And how that culture so easily substitutes for the life of purpose we are born to pursue. I’ve also become much more cognizant of money in general. While we worship at the altar … Continue reading »
Ugh.
Bart Stupak. First he caves and then he publicly repudiates everything and everyone he has fought for over the past 17 years, including his own amendment. How do you explain something like that? A week ago Stupak said he was a “definite no vote…I didn’t cave.” He did mention he was getting a lot of pressure from the … Continue reading »
Budget Breakdown
Not a stellar day for the budget…for all of us. I’m working all weekend so I ended up going out for lunch and then broke down and went to Starbucks after work. And it looks like you will have to pay for all the backroom deals and arm-twisting that went on to secure sufficient assurance to bring the health … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 19
This has been a long week. I haven’t had time for anything other than work, so I’ve been living on the yoghurt, almonds and eggs I picked up a few weeks ago. Today I ran out of everything but nuts, so I had to buy food at work (you can only eat so many almonds in a … Continue reading »
$henanigan$
I just have to say some things. First, I’ll be working all weekend just so the country can be saddled with a monumental mistake so I’m kind of cranky. I know there are people who think health care overhaul legislation must be passed right this second…come hell, high water or we the people. But just remember, … Continue reading »
Say What Now?
Note: In light of Mr. Stupak’s inexpicable reversal on March 21, I’ve had to revise the following post. Changes in bold. I have to hand it to the Michigan Messenger for publishing a piece they cleverly accurately titled ”Stupak’s Abortion Stance Threatens Health of Women and Children.” They’ve taken the art of irony to new levels got it exactly … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 13
Drove up to Frederick today for Arthur’s rich workshop on “How Sons Lead.” He outlined God’s process of transitioning the Israelites from being slaves in Egypt to possessing the Promised Land. As long as they thought and acted like slaves they would not be able to inhabit their inheritance, so He had to equip them…and it wasn’t always pretty. Under three things … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 12
Confession: When I was sick last weekend I started watching old Lost episodes. I was introduced to the show last year by a good friend who was staying with us at the time. I would come home from work and we would watch two or three episodes a night, except when I had to work … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 11
One of the drawbacks benefits to not being able to distract myself by shopping is that I am forced to think about my life. What am I doing? Why am I here? I mean here on the east coast, not the existential here. Clearly I am frustrated. My job requires me to juggle too many unrelated … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 10
Disclaimer: I have had a hellacious day of back-to-back meetings, so I hereby waive all duty to political politeness in the following rant. This post is not going to be about my personal financial fast. It’s about our corporate (as in we’re all in this together) gluttony…the dysfunctional state of our union. In case you’ve been asleep or apathetic … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 9
Wisdom has built her house. She has hewn her seven pillars. Proverbs 9:1 I wonder if the seven pillars are the righteous counterpart to the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). Humility Truthfulness Defense of the innocent Forthrightness Conscientousness Lifegiving Peacemaking I’ll have to let this roll around my head and heart for awhile.
Financial Fast: Day 8
Okay. So something happened the other day while I was driving but I didn’t want to write about it right away because it’s one of those self-convicting types of things and I was hoping to continue to plead the fifth. But I can’t. I have to deal with it. I was out and about and … Continue reading »
Financial Fast: Day 7
Didn’t spend a single dollar today. Zero. Nada. Zip. Null. Feels good.
Financial Fast: Day 6
Ran errands today, which is always a threat to my best fiscal intentions. Went to the bank, got an oil change (half off…yay!), and Whole Foods. Now I realize that Whole Foods is not the place to go when you’re trying to be frugal, but it is about the only place to go when you can’t … Continue reading »
