After years of receiving bad haircuts, I decided to entrust my hair to a hair stylist. Nicky was my wife’s stylist so I made an appointment with her. We soon hit it off. It turned out that she was launching a second career as a life coach. While cutting my hair, we talked about coaching…
Who is this woman? I want you to meet my life and ministry partner. You will enjoy her. She’s peaceable, gentle, open to reason, and full of mercy and good fruits. Without her partnership, my life and ministry would have taken some very different turns. If you guessed my wife Peggy, you’re partly right. Who…
3 Principles to Age Well This isn’t a promotion for a time-share in Florida; the place where palm trees grow. A palm tree is a biblical picture for successful aging. The Psalmist describes how the godly in old age “will flourish like a palm tree . . . still bearing fruit in old age” (Psalm…
Choosing the right playing field for a sport is a no-brainer. We don’t play basketball on a baseball diamond. However, when it comes to the playing field of faith, I think there are two fields we can play on but one field tends to dominate our playing time. In my normal prayer gatherings, I find…
I’m always looking for new pictures to express familiar truths. Here’s a new image to capture disciplemaking: “Disciplemaking is an elevated form of fellowship.” I’ve been pondering this statement from our former U.S. Director Alan Andrews for years. I’ve come to this conclusion: “Alan, you’re right!” And here’s why. Fellowship, not discipleship, is the over-whelming…
Our lives are full of images — pictures of heartache, love, and faith. Jesus used pictures extensively. They were more than power point images to illustrate the main points of his sermons. Jesus used pictures because they suggest truth rather then spell it out; they evoke faith instead of explaining faith. Ultimately, they catch us…
When I first wrote this “What I’m Reading” blog I never imagined it would serve as a testimony to Timothy Keller’s life and ministry. Like many of you, I was saddened to hear of his recent death. Keller’s writing and teaching ministry had a profound impact on the church in the first decades of the…
There’s two subjects I enjoy reading about — rock and roll and creativity — and this book combines both of them. Rick Rubin is an illustrious record producer. Besides his work in rock and roll and rap, he resurrected Johnny Cash’s career on his American Recordings. Even if you’re not a music fan, you will…
“We seldom rise above the quality of the pictures that hang in the galleries of our minds,” writes author Warren Wiersbe. Our minds are full of pictures that have shaped our lives. One picture that’s hanging in my mind’s gallery features CROWS. Here’s the crows’ background. I’ll be the first to admit it; sometimes I’m…
I had trouble sleeping. My mind was trying to untie a mental knot of anticipation, anxiety, and appreciation. Tomorrow, I would step down as Regional Leader and give my responsibilities to a new leader. As I lie thinking about this event, an image of a BOOK came to mind. What did this BOOK mean and…