A few weeks ago, Pam and I went down to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Now, admittedly, we’re not particularly artsy. I’m much more likely to get my picture taken in front of the iconic Rocky Statue and then run up the exterior steps to the art museum while loudly singing the Rocky theme… dun, nun, da… dun, nun, da…. But we like to broaden our perspective of the world and love being in each other’s company, and the art…
One of the annual struggles of the holiday season for us is finding a Christmas gift for our parents. Maybe you have the same problem. Last night Pam and I sat flipping aimlessly through endless screens of “suggestions” from Amazon. It’s challenging because my parents and Pam’s dad don’t need anything. In fact, they’re at the stage where they’re downsizing and giving away… not accumulating. Every year they say, “Oh, no need for a gift, we don’t need anything. We know…
Two weeks ago at Bethany, we concluded our fall sermon series, “Right Where You Are.” And hands down, the highlight of the series were the personal testimonies that accompanied each sermon. It was super encouraging. Every week for 13 weeks ordinary men and women from our Bethany family shared about deep struggles and blessings in life and how God is using them to transform their lives and impact their world. Through the fall I kept an informal tally of some…
Sorry for the delay this week, but I had the exact same experience that Sandy shares in her story below. And try as I might on Tuesday, I couldn’t get my head around writing a blog. ******* A devotional by Sandy Martin This may sound like an unusual title for a devotional. So, let me share the unusual story that goes with this unusual title. I was in my “50’s” and headed for my first routine colonoscopy. I had met…
“He must become greater; I must become less” John 3:30 About 10 years ago, a group of media savvy Christians started an online campaign in which prominent athletes, celebrities, influencers, and Christian leaders were videoed shared their authentic story of coming to know Jesus Christ. Baseball’s Albert Pujols, football legend Joe Gibbs, on-air personality Kathie Lee Gifford, former supermodel Kathy Ireland and musician Lacrae were just a few of the 140 videos that they compiled. The group put up billboards,…
“So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18 A few years ago during a particularly difficult season, my wife Pam read the NY Times bestselling book “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp. In it, Ann shares the secret to finding joy in the midst of “deadlines, debt, drama, and even the death of loved ones” and seeks to…
Last week my father-in-law sent me an article with the title, “Studies Show Approximately 30% of U.S. Adults Have Given Up on Religion, and Those Numbers Are Increasing.”. Often dad will send me the usual assortment of jokes, gag videos and an occasional political rant, but I’ve found when he sends an article on faith, it’s usually a good read. The article provides links to solid statistical data on Christianity in America. It’s general knowledge that Christianity as a cultural…
Every Tuesday at 10 AM the church staff meets briefly for a time of catchup and prayer. Everyone’s invited to share a personal and ministry update and then we take some time to pray for each other. Even though we work in the same building, it’s amazing how detached we can get if we don’t make community a priority. Getting to know everyone’s burdens and blessings over the last few months has really drawn us together. So yesterday, when it…
Years ago, in the 1980’s, way before the internet and when the dinosaurs still roamed the earth, it wasn’t YouTube or TikTok videos that went viral; it was TV commercials. Most commercials of that era were eminently forgettable and looking back now, they were super cheesy, too. But every once in a while, one would take off and the punchline would be continually repeated until it became part of the lexicon of the day. Wendy’s “Where’s the beef?” and Life…
This past weekend we had a memorial service for a wonderful man in our church family who recently passed away at 90, Steve Stoltzfus. He had an extraordinary life and the service went almost 2 hours as people shared how they had been impacted by him. The word “legacy” comes to mind. Several people asked for a copy of the devotional I wrote. I typically don’t publish sermons. They’re hard enough to listen to in person, haha! But in this…