I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for awhile - probably a couple of weeks. I hope to have some new blogs in the new month. Thanks for your patience and understanding! Doug

When I started to reflect seriously on the Psalms a few months ago, one tiny little concept in Psalm 1 grabbed my attention: “sitting in the seat of mockers.” Blessed is the one who does NOT sit in that seat. I wondered: what does that really mean? The obvious definition of a mocker is someone … Continue reading Getting Out of the Seat of Mockers

One of my favorite sports movies is, “For the Love of the Game” (1995). It stars Kevin Costner as an aging Major League baseball pitcher who is contemplating retirement as he pitches one last game. My favorite scene (and it’s probably the main reason why I watch this movie) is when he is on the … Continue reading Clearing the Mechanism

It was such a small gesture that I would have missed it if I weren’t paying attention. She had her own things to do. There were errands to run. There was work to get done. There were a million excuses that would have legitimized her not getting involved with this situation. There was something that … Continue reading Becoming Love

Jesus made a remarkable statement, one that stunned his disciples in Matt 18:3, when He said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” You can picture their minds racing: What does that mean? How should we become like little children? And how … Continue reading Childlike vs. Childish

With Mother’s Day coming up, I thought it would be good to blog about moms – in particular, my mom. I’m indebted to her for many, many things and I thank God for her influence and support in my life, as well as my siblings, our spouses and our children. We are blessed to have … Continue reading Thanking God for Mommies

  Some time ago our worship team led the congregation in a very powerful song called “Your Grace Still Amazes Me”. It was one of those songs that stays in your mind long after you sing it. That’s what happened to my wife, Letty. She just couldn’t get the song out of her mind. On … Continue reading Seeing God-led Conspiracies

There are days when I know I’m “off-center.” Something seems to be amiss. My attitude is unstable; ranging from moody to ultra-happy. My speech is more inarticulate than normal. Everything I say seems to be just a little off from what I want to express. I find myself repeating tasks, forgetting things, making extra trips. … Continue reading Off-Center

There was a jerk in our home the other day. He came out of nowhere. He started making snide comments to members of my family. Sarcasm dripped from his attitude of superiority. He then followed us to church. Although I kept him from making a scene, I could tell that all he had in his … Continue reading Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Lee

One of the great things I love about praying the Morning Office as part of my Personal Worship Time, is that it gives me a helpful reminder: There is a God. And I’m not Him. The “Call to Prayer,” “Request for Presence,” and “Greeting” always gets me realigned with this basic, but very profound truth … Continue reading Memo to Self