Musings of a Born Again Christian
This blog might bother you, and it should. This should serve two ends. First, it should expose the Word on the subject matter. Second, I will share, openly, my conviction on this simple issue – through my weakness, I made it unnecessarily complex. I need to lay down a precursor first. Something foundational to this […]
Imagine for a moment that your child died. I don’t mean when you’re 90 and your son or daughter passed on at age 72. I’m asking you to consider the loss of your child at age 6 or 20. I’ve got friends that wrestle with that daily. I have no such experience and only a […]
Do you ever feel that way? I have been lately. Only in a certain sense, though. I should explain. Do I have any real worries in the grand scheme of things? No, I do not. As a Christian, I know how this ends, and what comes next. But, living here in the world can be […]
Made us stronger. Have you ever truly pondered that? I remember reading in a Great Book once a ditty that went something like this: And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell […]
“Do you fight the good fight on a daily basis?” Yes. “Do you ever win a battle or two?” I do. “Can you handle it when you get your tail kicked?” Usually. “So, what happens when you’re simply not able to help someone you know needs the help?” Uhhhhh, well… I’m not very good at […]
I’m afraid it did… You see, I’ve been grappling with a problem for some time now that I couldn’t quite manage. Simply put, a recent idea was somehow adopted, absorbed, or otherwise planted into the minds of some dear friends and church family. Simply put, they are placing a lot less emphasis on being worship […]
Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die. Into the valley of Death rode the six hundred. exerpt from The Charge of the Light Brigade by Alfred Lord Tennyson That tidbit has been buzzing around in my head for months. Sometimes we’re duty-bound to do things we don’t like. Or worse. In […]
Let Them by Cassie Phillips Just Let them.If they want to choose something or someone over you, LET THEM.If they want to go weeks without talking to you, LET THEM.If they are okay with never seeing you, LET THEM.If they are okay with always putting themselves first, LET THEM.If they are showing you who they […]
immersion baptism the only way?
Mene, meaning numbered. Tekel, meaning weighed. Upharsin, meaning divided. Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin. Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided. What the heck does that mean? Well, Daniel interpreted, accurately, by the way, the hand that appeared and the inscription left behind. We find this story in Daniel 5, and I’ve always been drawn to it. Ever heard […]
If you like solid American Folk music, this blog title may have spurred you immediately to think of “The Trapeze Swinger” by Iron & Wine.
The problem… I’ve been really wrestling with some things in a social group I frequent. We’re told to be in the world, and not of it. If you truly seek to obey Him, that will eventually lead you to a fork in the road, and not an easy choice in most cases. When you’re in […]
That sentence has been ringing in my ears since last night. I heard it then and I hope to never forget it. I was at a social function among friends and a story was unfolding before me that I hadn’t bargained for… Apparently, the daughter in this story had offered an item for sale in […]
I can imagine my trek across the planet from every cancer ward in Western Culture, to every medical shack in war-torn Rwanda, as far as the Eastern edges of the Orient – I’d be on a mission to heal them all. I’m that stupid sometimes. “Stupid? That’s pretty harsh. Why would you say that, Michael?” […]
I’d been reading quite a bit about the Darwinian fairy tales in the general sense, some of which were pressed by the likes of Derrida and Foucault. I think they’re somewhat misunderstood by the average Joe, but mostly bunk. As an aside, “Darwinian Fairytales” is the title of a really great book by David Stove. […]
Do you ever hear that kind of thing? Seriously. Do you? I don’t offer this in any way to sound braggadocious. Truly. I have people tell me things like that. Routinely. Oh, Michael, you’re such a great husband! If you only knew how horrible I can be to my bride, or the chippy nature I […]
I usually don’t find myself getting all sappy and emotional in public. Do I? Who am I kidding? I find no problem with sharing my thoughts and feelings with just about anyone. I won’t be ashamed for sharing what He gave me. Empathy, sympathy, and communication skills in order to convey sentiment and caring. I […]
Stemming from a blog I wrote specifically on the topic of Biblical Self Defense, I’d like to cover the Biblical case for situational awareness. If you understood Exodus 22:2-3 from my previous blog that self-defense can be justified, then what things can we do in order to avoid threats? You’d need to truly become more […]
Yeah, I wrote that. Flame on. Seriously, though. There seems to be an inherent misunderstanding about this, so let’s walk through things a bit. What would you say if I offered you, not only self-defense but a Biblical case for the situational awareness that will often steer you away from scenarios where stopping a threat […]
There’s a five-dollar phrase, huh? But what does it mean? I think I can help, provided I grasp properly what I’ve read and researched. Essentially, the alchemical dictum can be broken down like this: alchemical – a tranformative or creational processdictum – an expression of general truth, or in some cases principle And what does […]
You read the title correctly. And I believe I can connect the dots for you in a way that might matter in your life. Explore this thought with me, my brothers and sisters, please. I was offering a parallel to a group of men in the church not long ago, and I prepared a focus […]
I sure do love him, despite wanting to smack my head on the desk from time to time. A friend watched my boy interact with me not long ago. He remarked, “He’s good for you. He’s teaching you patience.” I’m not sure I agree. I should be concentrating on patience, but sometimes, in fact, far […]
I’m asked occasionally the origin of my thoughts and precepts. All are heavily plagiarized… I barely have any original thoughts of my own. I have gleaned and pondered the overwhelming majority of my considerations from the works of people far smarter and more considerate than me. While I do also read crap from the likes of Dawkins, […]
I have become accustomed to expressing verbally that I love people over the last many years. Few are comfortable with this. Even so with their closest family and friends. Some folks don’t grasp the nature of the word or even how the Greeks broke the word “love” into many different specific meanings. Here are the […]
Wowsers… You never can tell how you’re going to get a nudge, where it’ll come from, or what ways He manifests it. It also can appear to be a bit vague and often unprovable, but I truly believe that God puts things before us to ponder if and when we pay Him attention. A friend […]
This is how the dictionary defines the word, church: church/CHərCH/noun a building used for public Christian worship.”they came to church with me” This is how the world sees, church: “A full 72 percent of the people interviewed said they think the church ‘is full of hypocrites,’” said LifeWay Research director Ed Stetzer. “At the same time, however, […]
I was recently delving into the Sermon on the Mount, and digging into Matthew 5, 6, & 7 respectively. After the Beatitudes, which were absolutely Earthmoving for me to finally comprehend in context, Christ moves forward to help clear up our sense of legalism. We’re taught about the need to remain preserved and visible – […]
James Hetfield, of Metallica, wrote “Nothing Else Matters” for the Black Album way back in 1990… I remember snagging it after a four-and-a-half-hour round-trip drive to the nearest big city when it came out. I had an expectation that I’d be listening to something along the lines of “…And Justice for All” but it wasn’t. […]
As a Christian, I proclaim myself that first. Sure, I’m an American, and Iowan, a conservative in most modes of thought, and certainly and husband and father. But, the Almighty is my first focus and the rest comes second. This choice informs all my others. Which is to say, I’m easily predictable in this way, […]
God never gives you more than you can handle. Nonsense.
…But be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Have you heard that bit from Romans 12? I keep getting routed back to Romans 12 over, and over, and over. For whatever reason, my study, my digging, my delving, […]
I had to put my dog down today. Man… Was I a mess? YES! I don’t think I cried this much in the several funerals I’ve been to in recent years, combined. Maybe this is because most of the people I’ve seen laid to rest were believers and I didn’t have to wonder much about […]
When you hear those words spoken, or read them, two responses typically follow. Either, you read them and assume something juicy comes next, which actually qualifies you for idiocy, or you read them and said to yourself, “God doesn’t hold two-way dialogue with people very often in recorded history, so this guy is being metaphorical […]
I think it’s called Grace in the Good Book, and forgiveness in the world. And I need to do more of it. Routinely… My cousin was married recently and her wedding was nearly perfect. The setting was a small and quaint church in a small rural Missouri town. She’s grown up in that church with […]
And we still haven’t asked ourselves some of the most basic questions necessary to TRULY understand the undistributed middle of this problem. This blog will be short and sweet. Yes, this is a Christian blog. And I always seek to offer either scripture and/or a Biblical basis for the thoughts I’m offering you as readers. […]
In fact, that was the central focus of my most recent Sunday School class. I offered a lesson surrounding Satan, how he gets a toe in the door, and sin crescendos from there. I then offered the antidote to sin, which begins with prayer, and plenty of it. Yet, here I am. Frustrated to my […]
Through discussion with my Dad, I was able to talk him into joining me for a quick discussion on the journey the Magi (3 wise men) would have taken to come from the “East” to worship the Christ child. My dad spent two years in Asadabad, Iran, while in the Peace Corps and it was […]
I left home to head to college as an 18yr old kid who knew everything. I ended up settling nearly 3 hours from my home, which was also the same community my to-be wife came from. College was busy, then work was busy, career building and dates with my then-girlfriend took priority. I didn’t get […]
If you’re near Newton (just east of Des Moines, IA) this should interest you. Here’s a link to the FB Event so you can sign up and/or communicate directly with CBF. I was just sent an email from Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, and wanted to share it with you: We are excited to host a marriage […]
A few Sundays back, our pastor had what I’d like to refer to as a “mic drop moment” without his intention. Yes, he’s calculated in his sermon delivery as well as researched. But every now and then I sense a comment in him that comes off the cuff. In essence, he blurts out what he’s […]
This subject may offend some of you, as the components I describe may not be a reflection of the church you inhabit. Let’s start with what you don’t want in a church. The fact is, there are good churches out there and bad ones. And when I say “good” I mean “good” as defined by […]
…This blog began. The first post is still a fun story I share with people all the time. We’d been looking for a great church. Not a good one, but a great one. Some friends suggested sending my little daughter to VBS at, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, and we agreed it would be good for her. […]
Some time ago I experienced a real slap in the face. I deserved it. I had it coming. It could have been avoided, but I was too stupid to get out of my own way. So, I got was coming to me. …And I’m grateful for it. God works in ways I cannot comprehend. To […]
But I believe as strong as she is, there is tremendous pain that has consumed her, and may yet be consuming her. I don’t know how it can’t have permeated her very being. In case you don’t know the story here, I’ll share as best I can. Apparently, this lady had an abortion some time […]
That’s quite an article title, is it not? Well, let me see if I can bring this full circle for you. In a chat for an advocacy group I volunteer within, a few remarks were offered from a friend I’ve come to really appreciate and admire. She is finishing her work in transportation, soon to […]
I’m homeschooling my son this year for the first time. As my son and I delve each morning into the content and value of our prayers, as that is the first order of class daily, he’s slowly beginning to understand what auditory caring is. He’s always been a caring kid and has a big heart, […]
For those of you who are parents, you’ll read the title and harken back to the time when your children were small and talkative. You’ll remember when you were their whole world. You can probably reminisce in the memory of hearing your own children say those words over and over to you. It truly is […]
It looks bad and frankly is probably worse than you’ll realize. Yes, I have strongly held political positions. But, I make every effort to park that and keep a biblical response to just about anything when I can. My ego, pride, and emotions can get in front of my better judgments, but I continually want […]
As the stories emerge from a media that can’t be trusted, it is hard to deny the images we’re seeing coming out of Afghanistan. We’re going to hear plenty of blame, copious amounts of finger-pointing, and calls for vacating various offices and positions. I’ve got news for you all. You can’t legitimately lay things like […]
…Is pretty far from what we had in mind. In fact, it would be hard for me to imagine our plans and His align very often. We get what we need, not what we want. Think about that.
I have been blogging about the advantages and disadvantages of virtual reality and the likes for a while now. I have been warning about false doctrine, along with those who offer it and how it’s done for a while now. I have been praying in an effort to avoid false doctrine myself. The age of […]
I’ve come to really embrace Toyota vehicles in the last few years. We don’t need to get into the “Big 3” debate. I simply took a step back and looked at the long-term value and performance, with Toyota edging out the other three. Then I factored in the truth – Toyota doesn’t play in politics, […]
It’s a special day for each of us. We all woke up here. Did we not? What about those who didn’t? I think about that a lot. Olivia would have turned 27 today. I first wrote about Olivia HERE. Her servant’s heart will be missed. I often think of all the people she may have […]
“I’m the loneliest I’ve ever been, tonight…” If you’ve ever heard anything like this, especially from someone you care for, it should give you cause for concern. Imagine for a moment that a friend sent you that text late at night. Would you text them back? Call them? Would you hop in the truck and […]
As a first time teacher in Church, I have met with some level of success. Why, you ask? I am motivated and seek to be prepared. As a first time teacher in Church, I have also met with some level of failure. Why, you ask? I wasn’t motivated enough and I hadn’t sought to be […]
I’ve made it to the end of my 40-day devotional and have learned a lot. I’ve refreshed my mind of many things I’d overlooked, marginalized, or otherwise forgotten. I’ve enjoyed a sense of gladness over my retrospect of marriage. I’ve also been deeply humbled and convicted in my realization of absence and ignorance in my […]
I’ll hit you straight up with it today. Some of this venture hasn’t gone as well as I’d hoped. There are also parts that have been truly rewarding. I should have embraced the idea early on that there would, as always, be surprises along the road to marital bliss. …And not always in the form […]
I’ve eclipsed the halfway point of this 40-day journey. I find myself with an odd dichotomy that seems to surround this devotional. On one hand, I’ve successfully managed to deploy this series of dares without my wife figuring out what I’m doing. It was meant to be done for our mutual benefit, rather than any […]
Well, here I am, with a pretty good start through this devotional and improvement series, when lo and behold, I have a conversation that I need to share with you. I was really enthused to do this with my church family, my brothers specifically because no matter what I tried I couldn’t get any takers […]
As you can imagine, I, as expected, have learned and relearned things in the process of applying The Dove Lair again. As I mentioned earlier, I have undergone this devotional and self-examination in years prior. I have retained some of that which I came to new light with this retrospective inspection. It also has become […]
I’m going to use some rudimentary code to avoid spilling all the beans. Heck, we might even use code names. That’d be fun. It isn’t considered lying when you admit upfront you’re using code names, right? “Y’all hear that? We’re using code names!” Let’s get this party started. The first Saturday of each month is […]
I can too, so I’m not telling. Besides, you’ll figure it out pretty soon anyway… Relax, there’s no reason blogging can’t be fun. Be salt and light my friends… I beg you.
Hashtag You Only Live Once How many of your friends say this? How popular has it become to utter this phrase? How frequently do you see this hashtag on social media? #yolo is quite prominent, isn’t it? I don’t have a fundamental problem with the energy behind those people we see using this hashtag. I […]
You should. My blog from the day before regarding a fantastic learning technique was a small part of a larger story. It might benefit others for me to share this with you all. I mentioned that I hadn’t taught anything Biblical in a formal setting prior to this year’s Adult Sunday School at Cornerstone Bible […]
I’ve been remiss on my blogging for the recent few months. I believe I have an excuse you’ll find acceptable, however… I’ve been offering the Adult Sunday School at our church. Late last summer our Pastor asked the congregation to remain behind after Service if we were interested in learning more about volunteering with Sunday […]
I was having a conversation with a longtime friend the day after the Trump protests in DC. He’s an atheist, very liberal, and isn’t high on pesky things like the 1st or 2nd amendment. I wouldn’t say he’s my antithesis, but close. He’s also been an extremely loving and kind friend to me for 25 […]
I’ve made it no secret that I have thoroughly enjoyed Ravi Zacharias over many years. I was introduced to him by my Pastor, Steve. Not in a literal sense of course. There was no handshake, but Steve told me one day that I might really like listening to his Apologetics works. I checked him out […]
I spent a few minutes tonight pouring over some numbers. If you want to have some fun and read a few statistics, you need to carefully accept them in context… But go take a look at the COVID numbers for places like the USA with a pop of 331M folks. Then compare things like the pop […]
My little boy turned 7 this week. He’s such a fun-loving and cute kid that I can sometimes forget his ability to be a holy terror. Sometimes. HA! But, as you know, parents are among the few that see the best and worst their children have to offer. Still, my boy appears to have a […]
I, for one, am getting just about sick to my stomach over what I hear leaking from the mouths of my fellow Christians. If I didn’t relegate my umbrage to a singular focus, I’m not sure I could stop after having begun typing this morning. Thus, I’ll corral my ire to a specific and narrow […]
Most people don’t know what “antinomianism” means or how to define it. With no small irony, we appear to be eyeball deep within it at every directional glance. There are a few variations of the definition of antinomianism, but this is thorough and illustrates well what I would like for you to grasp: Antinomianism (Ancient Greek: […]
Honestly, I’d never heard of the term “derecho” in my life. Derecho /dāˈrāˌCHō/ is defined as a line of intense, widespread, and fast-moving windstorms and sometimes thunderstorms that moves across a great distance and is characterized by damaging winds. As a Midwesterner, I’ve never gotten too concerned about straight line winds. The winds that start […]
…And blurting out, “We didn’t know what we didn’t know,” is no longer an example of acceptable tautology. Propaganda works. We typically don’t refer to indoctrination that way any longer. Today the term “Virtue Signaling” is the path forward. Window dressing aside, propaganda is as virtue signaling does. Ask any former communist or student of […]
Every word you will ever utter in your time means something. Words, whether audibly spoken, chiseled on a rock, or gestured with sign language means something. All of them. So when we offer the mantra, “Black Lives Matter” there is meaning to those words. “Black Lives Matter” – I know what each individual word means, […]
Have you ever heard the term “Decoration Day” by someone in your family or among your friends? We used to refer to Memorial Day as “Decoration Day” for specific reasons. Sure, we decorate the graves of others over this weekend specifically, but the core of this federal holiday is slowly becoming lost I fear and […]
Fill in the blank. If you’ve heard this uttered once, you’ve heard it a million times. Yesterday was Mother’s Day, and I’m sure the internet was full of sentiment such as this. I’m not heartless. I too would love to visit with my grand folks again. Oh, the things we could talk about now that […]
Yes, I’m on a bit of a rant. No, I don’t make this is a habit. I’ve been silent in terms of my Christian blog throughout the COVID19 scare. I understand virology, herd immunization, and the topics that surround a virus outbreak such as this. I also understand just how damaging a poor grasp of […]
I got up yesterday, the same as any other day, and did the things I always do. I wake up extra early. I do this, not for pleasure or preference mind you, but because I simply don’t sleep much. Any sleep I grab past 4 is a gift. When you have a wife, especially one […]
I question how well I am able to convey the happy dance without really looking silly. But… I don’t care. I am over the moon with excitement! Our church lost a rock-solid pastor a year ago. Choosing a new leader for our church family wasn’t easy. Frankly, it put us all well outside our comfort […]
Yeah, I wrote that. I meant it too. I’m thinking through some serious considerations at the moment. I’ve also stumbled across a few elements other parents are facing that have me pontificating how I would handle those situations myself. Some are darned heavy lifts to boot. In my own case, I have a daughter that […]
Provocative title, right? You’d think a “Christian” blog wouldn’t contain such harsh ideas or thought, right? Wrong. Sometimes you need a smack in the face. I do. We have an entire culture swirling around the toilet bowl as if somebody hit the big “flush” handle. There are few limits for what a prog will say […]
I’d rather listen to classical music or something in the alternative/prog metal or art rock than most anything else. I have quite a bit of folk music edging into my daily listening, but I default pretty quickly to a handful of bands that I really love. They include in no particular order: Portal, Tool, Deftones, […]
Somewhere I read a line about “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the Earth.” You may have run across that in your travels. I can’t remember for sure where I read it. #rollingeyes 😉 When I read that in Matthew 5, and each time I remember hearing it, I found myself not quite […]
I’ve learned much more than I bargained for with you over these many years. People often linger and lament over the changes they’d make if they’d only known. I don’t think that describes me. Not in this circumstance. For if I made a change in the past, a different outcome would be my reality. And […]
Pity… I can’t seem to make a scratch in the armor of bad things that surround us. I can’t stop the pain, hurt, and sorrow we all experience. I’m unable to curb the behaviors too many of us have that lead to the harm of others. Yet, within us all are responses to each thing […]
As I type this, I’m dizzy with thought. Whirling through my mind are many questions, and few answers. “Have I not been this selfish? When have I done this to others? Why can’t I recall my own debased patheticism?” I wonder if the human psyche manages to cloud our worst behavior in an effort to […]
A number of years ago, I had a gentleman do the proverbial “pop in” to my shop. I own my business and work strictly by appointment. Typically I approach the “pop in” with disdain, as I’m interrupted from things that require concentration and focus. For some reason I wasn’t too upset when Bob showed up. […]
Can you be easily identified as a Christian by your fellow congregational members in the pew on Sunday morning? Most would answer yes to that question. The idea that there are some who might respond with a “no” is a topic for another day. But yeah, your fellow parishioners look on you most likely as […]
You ever said that out loud? What about under your breath? Better yet, have you ever thought it about a friend? I have been uttering things like that, both silently and audibly quite often lately. It seems like I’ve got a gaggle of pals that can’t enjoy anything but strife, chaos, and general discord. It’s […]
I heard that phrase uttered the other day and scoffed at it under my breath. I neither took it to heart nor did I truly think about the implications of what a short proclamation such as that actually meant. The person saying it wouldn’t be on my short-list to hand out sage advice to the […]
Typically I view myself as a ‘decent’ dad. I’m no fool. I’m also not ignorant. When I hear people give me accolades as a ‘good dad’ I enjoy hearing it – that’s the self-absorbed ego-driven portion of me. …But I only bask in the faux glow of envy for a second or two. It isn’t […]
When the day is gone, and you sit listening to the world surrounding you, do you realize your flaws? I have been experiencing a recurring thought that urges me to simplify the life I lead. While no perfect life is capable for me or available to me, a better one exists in the here and […]
Algorithms today, especially those on social media, tend to be helpful, hurtful, and terrifying all in one tremendous vein. An algorithm is defined as a process or set of rules to be followed by calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer. If we apply this definition to the old pamphlet sized calculators we […]
Our pastor recently announced that he was leaving ministry. He gave us all an explanation we could grasp and embrace along with a few weeks of sermons we could look forward to prior to his last on Easter. Building up and through those few weeks he asked himself what he should do with his few […]
I had deliberated a bit on how best to approach my friend yesterday. I am cautious not to perpetuate an ‘anniversary’ of death, as I believe there is a risk, many times significant, that placing an emphasis on the date our loved ones left us behind may turn septic. I don’t want to disrespect anyone […]
3 all day long tournaments filled with 4th grade girls from all over a 100 mile area. 17 regular season games with 34 sets therein. Admittedly I lost count, but somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 points scored. 10 happy, healthy, and eager kids wanting to play and realize the true meaning of ‘team’ in […]
But don’t get too heady just yet. As we drift from biblical literacy we relate less and less to the origins of the daily nomenclature we toss around. I’ll give you some examples. A drop in the bucket… Isaiah 40:15 – Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck […]
According to Hoyle. Have you ever considered the context of what it really means to experience or learn of a “Miracle according to Hoyle” in true application? We must first ask, “Who is Hoyle” do we not? Some would say that phrase originates from Sir Fred Hoyle, a rarely outspoken Yorkshireman who rejected Darwinism and […]
Isn’t that what they claim? Well… There’s a few problems with that. First, I’m not sure I’m cultured enough to know whether that holds a shred of truth or not. Second, who is “they” anyway? That can’t be skipped. Not by thinkers anyway… IF good art follows you around the room, then is it a […]
How can I be dismal at Christmas time? We celebrate the birth of the child of God who walked the Earth and became our savior this time of year. We sing a little louder. We hug a bit more often. We greet and leave with a “Merry Christmas” salutation, do we not? And yet… I […]