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The promise of being filled with awe is present every Christmas. This holiday surrounds us with beauty —  festive lights, up-lifting music, and the art of the Christmas card. Even in an increasingly faith-less culture, Jesus is still present. But is the Christmas experience always AWE-full? I must be honest. Sometimes it’s not for me. If I polled everyone reading this blog, we would probably all agree: “We’re too rushed to enjoy the awe!” How do we slow down while checking off the gift lists,…

We’ve all seen the headlines: bees are dying!  Bees and other pollinators are vital to life. Bees pollinate 80% of flowering plants. They account for $15 billion in agricultural products; bees shape our food chains. The good news is that commercial bee keeping has stabilized over the past decade. The bad news is that “wild” or natural bees continue to decline. Why are bees dying? The reasons are many but the bottom line is that when the environment around bees (the ecosystem) is changed then…

Dinner at the Mowry home is a time for Peggy and me to catch up on our days. It was during a dinner conversation that Peggy jolted me with these words: “I’m going to resign my teaching position and find a job in a corporate setting. I want to live as a light among unbelievers rather than stay in the safety of a Christian school.” I was surprised. I knew how much Peggy enjoyed teaching in a Christian school. She loved the relationships with her…

(Mighty Mouse and Leadership) Interviewing prospective staff for our regional Navigators team was always a collaborative process. As was our custom, the team met prior to the interview to discuss the questions we would ask the applicant. We identified the usual ones: “What are your strengths?” “Tell us about your past ministries,” and “What is your ideal working situation?” One question, though, jumped out from all the rest. “If you could describe yourself as a cartoon character, which character would you choose and why?” was…

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 and learning. During one of our conversations, I had a sudden flash of inspiration. “You know Nicki, this ten-foot-square solon is your classroom.” “I never thought of it this way,…

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 is this other partner? Her name is Wisdom and she’s stood behind my ministry for nearly fifty years. What distinguishes this woman? Wisdom in the Bible is personified as a…

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 92:12, 14).  No matter our age we should be preparing for the palm tree life. Three simple principles can help us age well — principles not only for us seniors…

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 that nearly 100% of the prayer concerns that I and others express are what I call “prayers of circumstance.” This is the playing field of everyday life. We’re immersed in…