Back in April the Lord led me to return to a vow I had made it many years ago in the attic of an old wood framed house on Long Island. The Crows Nest, I called it, had no insulation, and often had critters staring at me from the eaves. The vow was a surrender…
Tag: Love
A Prayer for Gospel Shepherds
Lord, for we, the gospel Shepherds, The sanguine and the brave, Build in us resilient love To freely give away His grace. Bless with wisdom strength and honor, Not for fame, flash or glory, Instead, open up our hearts To the mystery of your story; When we in pitch of night, Hung together, cried. May…
Prayer is talking with God
Prayer without action is simply infatuation- You might think you are, but are you really in love? What happens during our times of prayer is important, but not as important as what comes after. An argument can be made, that if our prayer station isn’t moving us toward the lost, into acts of service, or…
A Silent Ancient Thing
This year I self-published a book of poems titled, “When God Weeps Blood.” During a difficult stretch a few years ago, God led me to write poetry as a way to process with the Lord part of the suffering. The lessons he revealed in those dark hours emerged as gift–a deeper more enduring love for…
A Strand of Hair
Seeing the genius of God in the ordinary – Set One This morning in my study, as I glanced at my side table, a sudden glint of morning light revealed a strand of hair. It was blond, not very long, but I knew it belonged to my wife, who the previous week had rested there. …
A Reflective Look at the Mystery of Resurrection
“Lord, I seek mystery, not a mishmash of existential thoughts, symbols and trendy quips. I cannot contain you, cannot begin to plumb the depths of your love, let alone the perplexing ways you work in the world. To one you heal, the other dies. Mother’s cry, fathers fume at the injustice they see. Where is…
“…the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5
The lantern of Love shines a brilliance Untested, unknown, unraveling and clear, Shines before the children of God To show that darkness never owns them. There will be seasons when light is dim There will be times of suffering There will be moments of doubt and fear There will be angels, dark and dangerous. Yet,…
The Violin-A Christmas Story
Place: New York City. A final Bible study before Christmas break. A group of young men who seem to really be tracking and growing, consistent…some of them straight off the streets, clawing their way up and out of some heavy stuff. Yet, Ace is missing, in fact for two weeks straight. The next day I…
What is a Missionary?
What is a missionary? That’s easy, a person who travels the length of the world to tell others about Jesus, right? Yes, but to understand the true guts of a missionary, the spirit behind the action to “go and make disciples,” we need to understand something about blessings. When a person my age looks at…
A Prayer For Those With Cancer
Abba, Tear Catcher and Boo-Boo-Made-Better- can we talk? Your friend is sick. An anomaly was found in the glare of an ex-ray image. That signals only one thing, you are about to move through time, not into it, but through it, as eternity cannot cohabitate with minutes and hours. In that movement, please carry their…
The Contagion of Joy
Of all the leaders I have ever known, Dr. Bill Bright, the founder and president of Cru, was the easiest for me to follow. I think it’s because I love to follow joy! Whenever I ever heard him speak, two things became apparent and found their way straight to my heart. His continuous call for…
Hard-Wired for Joy
God has hard-wired us for joy. This fruit of God’s Spirit sits ready to surprise and even overwhelm us, and is a sure sign of God’s presence. If we work at plumbing deeper depths of intimacy with God. If we fuel that ambition with love, with our hearts open to another shore. If we boldly…
To Sir, with love 