So here I sit with a cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee overlooking the Caribbean Sea at sunset. After 12 hours of continuous travel, a bit of relaxation seems in order. I’d tell you that it’s 81 degrees and I’ve already taken a dip in the ocean, but that might be unfair. I am happy to report that we have safely arrived in Jamaica, all twenty of us AND our stuff. Twenty ministry bags filled with much needed supplies. For the…
Do any of the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies themselves send down showers? No, it is you, O LORD our God. Therefore our hope is in you, for you are the one who does all this. Jeremiah 14:22 So we’re expecting rain on Thursday. Lots of it. It’s 9 PM on Wednesday and I’m on weather.comscanning the forecast hour by hour for the next 24. It starts out with “light rain,” transitions to “showers” then “rain,”…
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever– do not abandon the works of your hands. Psalm 138:8 Someone once told me, “orderly desk, orderly mind.” …I don’t think I’ve ever heard a more discouraging saying. You should see my desk at this moment. Seriously, there are 17 half-started projects all over the place- covering the desk, floor, table, couch and counter. I’m even leaking out into the conference room with my stuff. It all has…
Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. I will praise the LORD all my life. I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Psalm 146:1-2 The alarm goes off this morning louder than usual, the cheery drone of Mike Moss and WTOP cuts into my head like a buzz saw. What is wrong with that man? He must take happy pills to be so cheerful at this hour. Uuhh… stayed up too late again last…
Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. Psalm 125:1 Ah, the last midweek devotional of 2010. What to write, what to write…? The week between Christmas and New Year is always enjoyable to me. It feels like a seam or pause in the year; the middle space between what was (2010) and what will be (2011). Things here at the church slow down a bit, I get to enjoy the…
But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son… Galatians 4:4 Ok, it’s crunch time; Wednesday afternoon and my personal to-do list is as clean and untouched as new-fallen snow. I’ve already rescheduled one appointment (sorry Andy!). More “adjustments” are coming. The hand-crafted gift baskets with homemade jams and ornaments that I wanted to give to the church staff will have to wait for another year. Why are the words “Christmas” and “rush” so often synonymous?…
In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (NASB, 1 Thessalonians 5:18). This past Sunday was priceless. We interviewed some children in front of the congregation as they moved down the aisles loaded with Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes. Like an over-caffeinated news reporter Pastor Bob moved around the auditorium shoving a live mic in front of unsuspecting children. “What are you thankful for!?” He asked. That’s risky business, you never know quite what…
…You do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14 Seventy-two years ago, this past weekend the Orson Welles radio drama War of the Worlds premiered as a Halloween special on the CBS radio network. The hour-long show was a series of simulated news bulletins that “interrupted” the usual programming to detail an alien invasion in Grover’s Mill, New Jersey, a small farming community…
Preach the word, be prepared in season and out of season…. 2 Timothy 4:2 “Well, I had a little ‘Now’s the Time’ Moment!” today. Pam announced to me Monday afternoon as I walked into the house. “Wow, tell me about it!” I exclaimed. Having preached on the topic of seizing opportunities to share our faith with others this past Sunday, it doesn’t surprise me at all that God would open up opportunities in the coming week. I find that regardless of the…
You heavens above, rain down righteousness; let the clouds shower it down. Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteousness grow with it; I, the LORD, have created it. Isaiah 45:8 All right, so I’ve been soaked to the skin three times today. I ‘m still at the church and it’s 10:45 at night. It’s absolutely pouring outside (again) and I’ve got to get to my truck that is parked way out in the parking lot. My…