Just A Thought

The Police and Prayer

2012-02-03T18:16:00.000-08:00

I glanced nervously in my rear-view mirror as the red and blue police lights went off behind me. Like many people, I get a bit more conscientious of my driving when I see a police car. When the car is right behind me I become VERY attentive. This one had been following me for a mile or two so I was extremely attentive to every function of my vehicle and where I was on the road. Then the lights

Just A Minute

2012-01-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the words and kind acts that encouraged you when you were young? Who was the adult that spoke into your life? Hopefully, they spoke words of love and acceptance that encouraged you to explore an interest or talent that is uniquely yours.This was the question Wess Stafford, President of Compassion International, posed back in October of 2010. I wrote about just such a

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler - A Book Review

2012-01-26T19:36:00.001-08:00

The Emancipation of Robert Sadler was a book I could not put down. When this book was first offered to me for review, I chose to accept based on the co-author. Marie Chapian wrote a book about a Yugoslavian pastor that my wife and I read more than once and which still holds a position on on our bookshelf. So when I saw she was involved with this book, I decided to give it a spin.As I read this

Markers Along the Way

2012-01-20T15:03:00.001-08:00

Looking back over my Christian walk, I see some markers along the way. They are Bible verses that became my "life verse" for a time. Ones that spoke to where I was at in my journey with the Lord. It started off as a new believer. That first Christmas, my Mom purchased me a little desktop plaque that quoted Prov. 3:5-6. This verse says "Trust in the LORD with all your

5 Questions With Mark Buchanan

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....Today's Guest is Mark Buchanan. I first discovered Mark's books after a recommendation from a colleague, Pastor Stanley Groothof. I have since had the pleasure of reading and being blessed by a few of Mark's books.Mark Buchanan is a pastor (New Life Community Baptist Church), award-winning author, and father of three who lives with his wife, Cheryl, on the

5 Questions With Jamie Arpin-Ricci

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....Today's Guest is Jamie Arpin-Ricci. I first met Jamie at a YWAM leadership conference. Jamie is a writer, pastor, and missional church-planter living in the inner city of Winnipeg, Canada with his Aussie wife, Kim, and Ethiopian son, Micah. He is the pastor of Little Flowers Community, a Franciscan-Anabaptist faith community in Winnipeg's downtown West End.

The Cost of Community

2012-01-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

The Cost of Community: Jesus, St. Francis and Life in the Kingdom (IVP) is book written by Youth With A Mission's Winnipeg Director, Jamie Arpin-Ricci.I would not have normally gravitated to a book about St. Francis. To be honest, I just thought the guy was a bit...strange. However, the fact that I knew the author and that he was discussing the Sermon on the Mount as well were big hooks for

I Am Second - A Book Review

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

I Am Second by Dave Sterrett and Doug Bender is an amazing collection of stories from individuals in and out of the public eye. I was remotely familiar with the concept of I Am Second as I had once stumbled across the website while looking for some background information on Josh Hamilton. I decided to pick the book up as I love to read testimonies of the transforming power of Jesus Christ. I Am

5 Questions With Joni Eareckson Tada

2012-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....Today's Guest is Joni Eareckson Tada. Joni Eareckson Tada is the founder of Joni and Friends, an organization accelerating Christian outreach in the disability community that numbers 610 million people worldwide. This organization operates out of the new Joni and Friends International Disability Center located in Agoura Hills, California. Joni is not only an

A One Word Resolution - Just A Thought #51

2011-12-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Compassion sent a challenge out to their bloggers this week to seek the Lord for a word for 2012 instead of making a New Years Resolution.Literally, ONE word.If the Lord was to give us one word for 2012 what would it be?I knew mine before I was even sent the email from Compassion. The Lord gave me that word a few weeks ago...and it began with a dream! Actually, it began in January of 2011!

The Bell - I KNow Who I Am

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was sent this in an email and really liked it so I thought I would share it with all of you. Merry Christmas!"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."2 Corinthians 5:17 . THE BELLI KNOW WHO I AMI am God's child (John 1:12)I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)I am bought with a

The Names of God Bible - A Review

2011-12-14T21:54:00.000-08:00

I have never reviewed a Bible before, so when I received The Names of God Bible in the mail I thought I should ask for some help.I went to my teenaged daughter who checked it out and gave this heartfelt endorsement: "Awesome Bible!" Not receiving much help there, I went to my more articulate wife who looked through the Bible and said, "Cool Bible!"So being left to my own devices, I decided this

The Birth of Christ: The Announcement!

2011-12-10T16:41:00.001-08:00

Women and new fathers love baby announcements. I say new fathers because most guys don’t usually ask details. We just find out a baby is born and grunt. Women want all the details. ALL.When both of our children were born, when I shared that we had a new child, ladies would ask about weight, length, time, how long the labor was, etc!(OK I know the women are now curious so here you go.)

What Did Jesus Do?

2011-12-03T10:50:00.000-08:00

I was at the thrift store recently when one of our volunteers made a comment that got me to thinking.He said, "Why do we ask what would Jesus do? What we should be asking is what has Jesus already done."I had to chew on it for a bit but what he said makes sense. Both are valid statements. "WWJD?" was all the rage a few years back and everyone seemed to be asking the question. Of course the

Preaching to Myself

2011-11-23T20:49:00.001-08:00

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6)This was the text I was going to preach on last week. Maybe I will get to preach it this week.It is hard to talk about not being anxious while struggling with not giving in to anxiety.Maybe it started when my son broke his femur and spent 6

Mission In Action

2011-11-18T18:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a video you should definitely watch. However, you may want to have a tissue handy. I was sent this link via Compassion and my whole family watched it together.It was an eye-opener to those who have never been outside N. America.Produced by Missions in Action, this is an interactive web series that was created with the purpose to make a difference around the world. The team is: traveling

God In A Brothel - A Book Review

2011-11-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

God In A Brothel, a book by Daniel Walker and published by InterVarsity Press, is not a book for the squeamish or faint of heart.This book challenged me on many levels. I have tried to point people to various organizations that fight trafficking and feel passionate about this issue. Yet I have always thought of the victims and never gave much thought to the investigators who gather information

There Is No Sin That I Have Done [Official Music Video]

2011-11-03T19:43:00.000-07:00

A fellow blogger, Paul Wilkinson, sent me the link for this video today and it really spoke to me. The song is really quite powerful I encourage you to sit back and listen to the words.Enjoy!

Martha, Mary and Lazarus - Just A Thought #51

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Martha, Mary and Lazarus How do you come to Jesus Christ? I was looking at the various mentions of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in the new Testament this week and I found an interesting parallel between how they approached Christ and how we Christians approach Him today. Let's just look at the various examples. You have Mary, whom we find at one point sitting

Hitting the Wall

2011-10-08T14:34:00.001-07:00

I have been talking about the Israelites journey from Egypt to the Promised Land the last couple of weeks at church.Following the journey and drawing comparisons between their journey and our own walk with the Lord, I have tried to draw out elements that can be used as a parallel.This week I was going to talk about Jericho. Then I hit a wall. I encountered my own Jericho in the midst of

Working it Out

2011-10-02T18:02:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have been going back to one Scripture passage over and over again:"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13 Emphasis mine)Many people will go to

Amazing Story

2011-09-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

I remember the story well.5 years ago, a man walks into an Amish schoolhouse and shot 10 young girls.Five of these girls passed away.The Amish community was devastated and yet they offered up Christ-like forgiveness in the midst of tragedy.The story did not end there.A new article in the USA Today shares the story of Terri Roberts, the mother of the perpetrator of this heinous crime.She has been

Love and Alzheimers

2011-09-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Televangelist Pat Robertson (yeah that Pat Robertson) answered a viewers question this week in regards to Alzheimers and dating, by saying it would be understandable to divorce a spouse with the disease.As you let that sink in you can see more on the story at Thinking Out Loud, an awesome blog by Paul Wilkinson that you should check out.I don't want to comment too much on the story, beyond saying

5 Questions With Phil Callaway

2011-09-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With..... Today's Guest is Phil Callaway. I've been enjoying Phil's articles in the Salvation Army magazine, Faith and Friends, for awhile now. Phil Callaway is an award-winning author, speaker and daddy of three. The best-selling author of twenty-four books, Phil has been called "the funniest Canadian alive," but never by his high school teachers. He is a frequent

5 Questions With Philip Yancey

2011-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With.....Today's Guest is one of my all-time favorite authors, Philip Yancey. He is also an author I highly recommend.Philip Yancey began his career as Editor of Campus Life Magazine. More than 15 million people have read his books since he was first published in 1977. His books have been translated into 35 languages. Philip explores the most basic questions and deepest

A Selah Moment - Just A Thought #50

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have started this post a few times already. I just can't seem to describe what it is I was feeling this past year. Let me try one more time. AAUUUGGGHHH! Yeah that works. Do you ever feel like that? Work, family, just life in general can seem to pile up to the point where you feel like screaming. At times, I feel like that metal ball in a pinball machine, bouncing all around, off the

Forget Egypt!

2011-08-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am a bit of a history buff and so I have really been enjoying a book I came across recently called Operation: Mincemeat. This true story is about how British spies decided to deceive the Germans into believing they would be invading somewhere other than where they actually intended to invade. The ruse involved acquiring a dead body and over a 3+ month period creating a "life story" for

5 More Questions With Andrew Farley

2011-08-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 5 More Questions With..... Today's Guest is Andrew Farley. Mr. Farley did an interview with me back in May 2010 about his book, The Naked Gospel, and has returned for a discussion about his most recent book, God Without Religion. Andrew Farley is a senior pastor of Ecclesia. He serves as the Faculty Adviser for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and speaks to Christian Campus groups

Who Needs Them?

2011-08-09T20:14:00.001-07:00

Ok, this just hit me where I was at. I could not put a finger on my feelings of late. I just...I don't know, I want something more than humdrum Christianity. I am tired of just the same old routine where Christians debate about the latest hot button issue, backed by Biblical texts proving their view is the right one and is the "ordained by God" way of looking at things. I realized I am

5 Questions With Louis Zamperini

2011-08-02T20:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With..... Today's guest is a true American hero. Louis Zamperini was an Olympic athlete and a prisoner of war during WW2. When his ship crashed in the Pacific, he drifted for 47 days and over 2,000 miles into Japanese controlled waters. He was tortured for 2 years before the war came to an end. His story continued and eventually wove it's way to the Cross of Calvary.He

Stepping Down and Going Deeper

2011-07-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

Ministers step down for a variety of reasons but over the last year 3 well-known ministers decided to step away for a season and I can't help but wonder if the Lord is sifting and doing something in the Body of Christ.Here are the 3 ministers I am talking about:Francis Chan - I've never read Crazy Love. I know Francis Chan is quite popular though. I was impressed with this bit in Christianity

Not in N. America

2011-07-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Here is something you would never see on American or Canadian National News Networks...a story that is positive about the church.HTV1....is a national television news network in Croatia. Recently they aired a piece on the Church of Christ in Croatia and the story was very positive. It has been translated into English and put on YouTube! I wanted to share it here so you would be encouraged to

5 Questions With Tom Davis

2011-07-11T20:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome to 5 Questions With..... Today's guest is Tom Davis. He is the president of Children's HopeChest, an international child advocacy organization. He is also the author of the fiction books, Scared and Priceless. His non-fiction works include Fields of the Fatherless, Red Letters and Confessions of a Good Christian Guy. He and his wife Emily have 7 children, including 2 adopted daughters

I Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy....

2011-07-09T10:04:00.000-07:00

Joy...I believe this is one of the most misunderstood words in the Christian faith. When you hear the word joy, may feel they need to paste a sickly, unnatural smile on their face and act like everything in the world is just peachy keen...Insert a gagging noise here.Who hasn't experienced the happy, happy, joy, joy Christians who want no one to mention adversity and seem to deny the reality that

3 Very Disturbing Books

2011-07-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

I love to read.I also love to be challenged.Then I read 3 books by Tom Davis.Fields of the Fatherless, Scared and Priceless - These 3 books have so disturbed me, so challenged me, I never want to go back to resting on my laurels...and the last 2 are FICTION books!This was the first book I read. Scared.This was the first fiction book that made me cry. It also had me praying harder than I ever

Happy Dependence Day (From the Archives)

2011-07-04T07:43:00.000-07:00

(I originally posted this last year and a colleague of mine, Stanley Groothof, mentioned it today on his blog so I thought I would bring it back.)Today it is Independence Day in the US. This is the day, for you history buffs or those without a knowledge of US History, that the US gained independence from England and set a new course.However, for me it is DEPENDENCE Day. Today is just another

Walking Forgiveness - Just A Thought #49

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about forgiveness a quite a bit lately. What does it look like? Am I living out my faith and forgiving those who I feel have wronged me? Am I following the commands of Jesus to forgive "seventy times seven?" One thing I know for sure and that is, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according

I'm So Thankful For...

2011-06-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Last year a friend of mine posted things she was thankful for on her blog and I found it to be intriguing and thought provoking. I have been chewing on thankfulness this week and realized I don't stop enough to Thank God for not only the blessings, but for my life!Even the bad days can lead to new opportunities to experience God!1 Thessalonians says we should give thanks in ALL circumstances. I

God Without Religion - A Book Review

2011-06-21T07:39:00.000-07:00

I first became of Andrew Farley when I read his book, The Naked Gospel. The book was very challenging and I found it to be a personal blessing.So I was very excited when I found out Andrew Farley had written a new book. I received a copy of God Without Religion and jumped right in.Wow! Andrew Farley does not pull punches. Looking at issues ranging from pre-destination and free will to the

Age is Relative

2011-06-17T21:24:00.000-07:00