“What did you just say?” My friend looked at me from the passenger seat, leaning forward for emphasis, as he asked the question again: “WHAT did you just say?” We were riding together and I was driving in my then-typical road-rage-at-all-times manner. When a driver in front of me failed to go as fast as … More Lord, Have Mercy
“Can you come meet me by the Braverman house?” No explanation, no details…just my wife asking me to come meet her near a house we often dream of buying, so-named because it reminds us of the family home on the TV show Parenthood. Either it had finally gone up for sale or she’d had a … More Restoration
(Note: the pic above was commissioned just for this piece by my oldest daughter. Couldn’t be prouder of that kid!) “You’re just like a frog in a kettle…swimming around in the water, not realizing the heat is being turned up on ya slowly.” An old friend of mine used to say this to me every … More Frog in the Kettle
Week number three of the new reality the Coronavirus pandemic has brought is just getting rolling in my part of the world. As we watch cities like NYC and New Orleans deal with massive outbreaks, the depth of the crisis is beginning to dawn on the rest of us. Social distancing isn’t just a funny … More Thoughts from a Distance
Hard to believe how much I aged in just seven days, ain’t it? I kid, of course, but if you’re like me, you are no doubt still reeling from the rollercoaster ride we’ve been on. It seems with every new bit of news each aspect of day-to-day life has been affected. And just as well … More What a Week!
A couple weekends ago I had one of those experiences where things line up in such a way you have to either discount it altogether as coincidence, or realize the Holy Spirit is trying to get your attention. I choose to believe it’s the latter. I’ve been reading the book “Coming Clean” by Seth Haines. … More Learning to Forgive
Over on the right hand side of our garage is a workbench. It’s not my workbench, because it was here when we started renting, but I’ve laid claim to it for now. On the top shelf sits a nondescript cardboard box: 40” long, 12” wide and around 4” tall. If you noticed it at all … More Unfinished Work
“I feel like a heretic for saying this,” I told my friend, “but I feel I saw Jesus more in our community last year than I did in scripture.” As the words came out of my mouth, I forced a sideways smile to try and hide the guilt I felt inside for even thinking such … More With a Little Help from My Friends
Looking back over the year that was 2019, thinking ahead with hope to 2020. … More What Was and What Will Be
I remember Christmas Eve candlelight services when I was a kid, when the room would go dark, and I couldn’t see the face of my brother or sisters next to me. Down front, there was one single tiny flame, one candle, flickering in the eerie darkness. Slowly, one candle at a time, the light of … More Punching Back the Darkness
