(This is a re-blog while I am on Retreat) I had an interesting phone conversation with a friend the other day. He was driving down the freeway (using his “hands-free” device, of course) when, all of a sudden, a large truck pulled out in front of him. “I can’t believe that truck pulled in front … Continue reading Blocked Goals!

(This is a re-blog while I am on Retreat)I come from a family of pharmacists. My dad and uncle were pharmacists, as are my brother, sister, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law. Back in my HS years, I used to work in my dad’s drug store, mostly receiving the shipments and making sure the shelves were well stocked … Continue reading Over-the-Counter Christianity

(This is a re-blog, while I am on Retreat) The days of summer are getting warm, and it reminds me of how our cars tend to run hot this time of the year. Sometimes I have to add more coolant to some of my older cars when I see the temperature gauge creeping toward the … Continue reading Spiritual Coolant

Next week, I’ll be attending a spiritual retreat in the greater Chicago area with Ruth Haley Barton. This is a part of the “Transforming Community” I joined earlier this year. As part of the community, I will be attending these retreats every quarter for the next two years. The experience (I’ve been to two retreats … Continue reading Retreat

Today we’re traveling to Chicago. This trip is partly celebration of our anniversary and partly an investment in our spiritual formation. The first few days, Letty and I will explore the “Windy City,” visit a couple of museums, and sample some of Chicago’s best pizza (which we love). The last few days we’ll be in … Continue reading Traveling and Spirituality

Today, Letty and I celebrate 31 wonderful years of marriage. I can honestly say that we are more in love with each other now than we were on our wedding day (and we thought we were hopelessly in love back then!) My wife is truly remarkable. I marvel at how God has blessed me with … Continue reading The Secret of Staying in Love

This morning I learned a spiritual lesson from my computer. It was time to get an update for iTunes (one of the important “necessities” for worship pastors these days). I thought this update would take just a couple of minutes to take effect, but no! It took several minutes for the online updater to figure … Continue reading It Takes More Than a Download

Last night, I had a dream about a person I really dislike. In the dream, he was really “rubbing” me wrong and I woke up feeling angry, but also a little puzzled. I totally understood my anger – I always get upset when I just think about this person. But the emotion of being puzzled … Continue reading Examen-ing the Bitter Root

Have you ever gone through a day where you never gave God a single thought? I know I have. And there have been those days when I get off to a good start (having Personal Worship with God), but then I forget God the rest of the day … and it’s not until my Personal … Continue reading Getting Back to God in our Day

Today, we (in America) celebrate our nation’s birthday. Our country is 237 years old. But even more important than our longevity as a nation (we’re actually a pretty young nation compared to most), is the celebration of freedom. Freedom, as you know, is not “free.” There was a great cost (blood, resources, time, etc.) to … Continue reading Celebrating Freedom