Archive for Holy Spirit
On Tiger Woods and Grace :: To Forgive or Not to Forgive
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As I watched Tiger Woods stand behind the podium on Saturday morning, delivering his “statement” to the general public, a few thoughts ran through my head.
- I know this is well-rehearsed and scripted, but is it sincere?
- Is there any way to know for sure?
- Even if I feel it is sincere, what are others thinking?
The only question I found a solid answer for was the first. I felt as I watched Tiger say the words “I’m so sorry…” that he actually meant them. I’m a Tiger Woods fan. I love watching him play golf and I was devastated on some deep level when I found out what he had been up to. Not that I felt he was perfect or above reproach, but I simply thought he had things together. No dirt was ever brought up on him. No bad press. No tabloid talk.
Nothing serious, anyway. Read More→
The Best Valentine’s Gift Ever :: Your Life Laid Down
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Here we are, two days before the most convoluted of all holidays: Valentine’s Day. Shrouded in mystery and uncertainty, this day has become a bit of an aggravation to me over the years. It has been fully embraced by our consumer-driven economy and has become a driving force for sales in most commercial places of business. No one really knows where it came from, but we all know (especially we men) exactly where it’s headed…and it always takes us with it.
I’m not immune to it, either. Not getting something for my wife on this day seems callous, yet bowing down to the goofiness of this money trap is almost more than I can stand. I am among the lucky few who has a wife that honestly doesn’t want the egregiously overpriced flowers on Valentine’s Day, and for that I am so very thankful! But we still play along with cards and a small gift or two. Like I said before, I feel like a jerk if I don’t do something!
So today, I was in Hallmark browsing their card collection in hopes of finding either something really nice and mushy or something absolutely hilarious. I found something in between and settled on it. It was a good card that lacked a certain characteristic I found troubling in probably 85% of the other cards available.
Apology. Read More→
Super Bowl Ads 2010 :: Should We Advertise Jesus?
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The Super Bowl has become something so much bigger than a great game, great rivalry and great football. It has become the de facto standard for big-ticket, big-money advertising. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you about the strangeness of watching a great football game and not being able to “check-out” during the commercials for fear of missing the next great ad. It is a unique television viewing experience, for sure! And after an evening of taking in an extraordinary amount of very pricey advertising, I lied down for bed in recollection of which ad campaigns actually stuck.
- Doritos – Their campaign focused on consumer-created hilarity…and all their ads were very funny and memorable.
- Bud Light – Their campaign was, no surprise, all about fun and partying. Many very funny ads.
- Hyundai Sonata – Nothing flashy or funny or cutting edge…just a good-looking vehicle from a company making the move from mediocre manufacturer to premium car builder. It made me turn my head more than once.
And that’s about it. That was my take-away from all the ad blitz. The first two companies were not offering any new product or pricing; they were simply attempting to get their product stuck in viewers’ minds, and it worked very well. The Sonata took a different approach, offering a new vehicle style and build at a shockingly low price. It really got my attention and made me think, “Maybe I’ll check that out sometime.” In both cases, they got what they were searching for. They made me, the consumer, give some of my precious brain time to their product…to the tune of millions of dollars.
All this made me think about those of us who follow Jesus. Read More→
God, Fortresses and Rocks :: A Reflection on Psalm 71
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With the snow moving in this past weekend and ruining our Saturday night gathering at Open House for the second time in a month, I’ve decided to post my thoughts on Psalm 71 here for everyone to share in. You see, I really felt compelled to share these thoughts in the hopes that challenge and some introspection might occur. On the positive side, I got to spend the entire day Saturday snowed-in with my wife, forced to rest and just “be” in light of the snow, and I really enjoyed and needed that. I was, however, a bit bummed-out about the fact that I didn’t get to share my thoughts with everyone. Not in a “I love to hear myself talk” kind of way, but in a “I love to hear other people wrestle with thoughts and ideas” kind of way. Let me explain.
Psalm 71 ( <— scroll over to read), at first glance, is just another psalm from David. It is littered with language of salvation, rescue, hope, trust, rocks and fortresses. The message from David is very clear.
Save and protect me God. Life stinks, I need help, and you are the only help I can rely on.
And, as Bible-believing followers of Jesus, this should be our reaction to trouble, right? Cry out to God and wait for His answer. Wait for His action. Wait for Him to kick butt.
Yeah, I said kick butt. Read More→
Small Pieces :: The Phenomenon of Community
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We have all witnessed and discussed the devastation that occurred in Haiti over the past week. The death toll and extensive destruction that this series of earthquakes have rendered is unheard of until now. The loss is immeasurable. And while this is reason for solemn reflection, it has also been a time of solid reaction. And as the catastrophe in Haiti has lead to endless empathy and question, it has also lead to prompt action and inspiring levels of help and service that, to wit, have not been seen in a long, long time.
I suppose it’s easy to get cynical and jaded when things like this happen. We question God about the why’s and question one another about the how’s.
How do we respond? How do we understand all of this? How can I help? How can we, as individuals, make any difference?
In a culture of super-heroes, CEO’s, sports stars, and celebrities, we really have a hard time grasping onto the idea that a huge group of people doing small things on individual levels can make substantial impacts. We rely on individuals doing singular, mind-blowing things that aren’t common or realistic in order to see change happen. We wait for the game-changers. The heroes. The saviors. Read More→
