Skip to main content

Posts

Consider This: The Joy of Mercy

  Twenty-five years ago, the board of Clearview Christian Camp at Kenosee Lake decided to build new cabins. As part of the construction process, we rented a skid steer to clear some ground for the new concrete pads. One Saturday, a buddy of mine and I decided we ought to drive the skid steer down to the beach and use it to push the dock out. That was a bad decision!   We sank that piece of equipment so deep in the mud that even my truck could not pull it out. We had to call a farmer friend of ours and get him to come down with his tractor. To make matters worse, our friend was seeding at the time, so not only had we done something dumb, we had cost our friend valuable hours he could have been out in the field.   When I went to the camp the next weekend, the first person I saw was the farmer’s wife, Margaret. I braced myself for an unpleasant conversation. In fact, I decided to go first, so I said, “Hi Margaret! I am so sorry for what happened last weekend. We we...
Recent posts

The Bride of Christ: A picture of who we are and who we are becoming

 God could have chosen any analogy for our relationship with him. He picked this one!  https://youtu.be/iya8xlUbXDI  

Consider This: Choose Wisely

  It should have been one of the best days of his life. After years of hard work, sacrifice, and training, Norwegian skier Sturla Holm Laegreid won a bronze medal in the Men’s biathlon at the 2026 Olympic Games. However, the reporters who gathered to ask him about this great accomplishment did not get the interview they expected.   Laegreid broke down crying. Unlike many of his fellow athletes, though, his tears were not tears of joy. Instead, he blurted out, “Six months ago, I met the love of my life. The world’s most beautiful, sweetest person. And three months ago, I made the biggest mistake of my life and cheated on her… I am not quite sure what I am trying to say by saying this now, but sport has taken a back seat in recent days. I wish I could share this with her”. Then he cried some more.   Integrity matters! You can fulfill your life’s ambition, but if you are not who you really want to be, you will not be able to enjoy it.   We tend to think of the p...

Acting like our Father in Heaven.

 On Father's Day, one quality of God that you will not find in any Father's Day card, but one that should be there.  https://youtu.be/UmbGpxDlXfk  

Consider This: Nothing Happens Unless It Happens Now

  Sometimes people say things like, “If I win the lottery, I am going to be really generous”, or “When I retire, I will make time for what is really important. I will look after others and take care of them”. When I hear these statements, I often think, “Ok, but what are you doing now?”   It is easy to have good intentions. It is great to dream about what might be someday. However, the real test is not “What might you do?”, but “What are you doing right now?” If you are not being generous with the time or money you have now, you are unlikely to start later.    Jesus said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). When this verse is taught, often the focus is on the “moving mountain” part. We want to be part of something big, notable and impressive. However, that is not the starting point. The starting point is the small, mustar...

Consider This: Dealing with Life’s Transitions

    When I was young, it seemed that everything was getting better. I graduated from high school, went to Bible college and felt more independent and grown up. I started making my own money and had some financial freedom. I got married, bought a house, and had kids. Life was not perfect, but it was moving in a good direction. Lately, that has changed. Now, things feel like they are going the other direction. My kids have grown up, and the house is a little emptier. Friends I enjoyed hanging out with have moved away. People I looked up to and respected have passed on. My health, something I never gave a second thought to when I was younger, takes up more of my attention these days. People I care about are facing the prospect of selling their home and downsizing, or moving to an assisted living facility. Instead of gaining, it feels like life is going backwards. One aid to navigate these transitions is the Book of Ecclesiastes. In it, elde...

It's time to Go!

 Dreams are fine. Good intentions are great. However, nothing happens if we never start.  https://youtu.be/VC_z58zeycQ