"How are you?" Such a common phrase, often said more as a passing greeting than an actual question. Our responses typically don't go too deep either: "Fine." Or "I'm good." (Even if we're not really either). The one I seem to hear more and more lately: "Busy" Or some combination of them "busy… Continue reading Giving up “Busy”
I recently joined the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and have truly enjoyed singing in an ensemble regularly again. One of the pieces we're doing at our concert this Sunday is a 3-movement piece by Bernstein featuring a collection of Psalms sung in Hebrew. No matter what order we rehearse the movements in, the second one is… Continue reading Blissfully Unaware – Giving Up Worry
Jesus, you and I both know how I struggle with pride. Today, with your help, I give it up! It seems only appropriate way to start this reflective, repentant season of giving up the things that keep me distant from you, to begin with this one. (And perhaps wearing ashes all day might help… Continue reading Giving Up … Pride
Lent. Through history, people who celebrate lent often pick something to "give up" during the 40 days (not counting Sundays) leading up to Easter. While sometimes this can become a check-list, Pharisee-like, ritual to try to "be a good Christian" for some, it can also be a beautiful opportunity to focus more on Jesus as… Continue reading 40 Days of Giving Up…
Typically every January, our president gives the State of the Union Address. While of course at times politics can be involved, in general, it's kind of neat concept to pause and look around and see where we are at as a country. Today, as I was reading Luke 3:15 we get a similar "state of… Continue reading A “State of the Heart” Address
A few days ago I shared of awakening from a nightmare feeling prompted to pray for the persecuted Christians around the world. As 4:30 this morning rolled around I found myself up once again, with people on my mind. And, once again, I took the recent advice I overheard from a friend to her son,… Continue reading Prompted to Pray… A little closer to home
Two days ago I woke up in the middle of the night from an awful dream/nightmare. I was in a church/school and the layout was similar to that of the church I grew up in except it had multiple floors. I don't remember the details, but I know we were in danger. I remembered… Continue reading Prompted to Pray
Friday I posted about how amazing it seemed that the biblical author Luke was so focused on impacting one life at a time. His entire book of the Bible was written for one man, though it has impacted many. As I read on that day in Luke 1, the theme of the importance of one… Continue reading One life … Continued
I almost missed it there in the introductory verses: Luke's account of the good news of Jesus wasn't written to the masses as it seems Matthew, Mark, and John's accounts are. No, Luke put all of the effort to make a detailed account involving interviewing and collecting stories from eyewitnesses all for one man named,… Continue reading One life…
Near the beginning of this year in a staff meeting Pastor asked each of us to share something, a passion of some sort that God was putting on our hearts for ministry in 2016. After one teammate shared he asked whether that was something that excited them or just something they felt needed to be… Continue reading HUSTLE! – January Edition
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