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“Then God said, ‘Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us so that they may take charge of the fish of the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and all the crawling things on earth.’ 27 God created humanity in God’s own image, in the divine image God created them, male and female God created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27, CEB) I genuinely love the work and writing of author Andy Crouch. As this election cycle…

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance.…

There is a tree that grows 40 different fruits on the same tree. Can you imagine how pretty the tree would be in the springtime?  It would be gorgeous.  We have a cherry tree that has three different cherries on it. However, this tree I’m talking about has 40 different fruits.  Peaches, apricots, plums and much more. When the tree was first thought of, it was an art project to reintroduce Americans to native fruit. It takes lots of planning. …

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews…

Recently my wife and I traveled to Europe where we experienced 5 different countries, slept in 16 different beds, and walked over 100 miles. This was not a resort vacation but an expedition. There were two experiences in our travels that were emotional for me.  One was visiting the American Cemetery in France. So many young lives were lost in the battles for the beaches of Normandy on D-day. So many gravesites and so many names of real young men…

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have what I need. 2 He lets [makes] me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; he leads me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Psalm 23:1-3 CSB My life has been pretty chaotic recently. Moving to a new apartment, trips to see family, helping with VBS, running a rummage sale, getting ready for two weeks of camp, trying to spend time with Lake, and everything…

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness. When He saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest.” ~ Matthew 9:35-38 I recently returned…

When I was a young boy, I found out that my father had a brother named John.  My father described him as a “hobo”.  When he was 16 years old, he had been involved in a farming accident that cost his best friend his legs.  He climbed into a bottle to ease his emotional pain and never came out of it.  He was an interesting character.  He spent time in a Santa Fe, NM prison for cattle rustling.  I don’t…

Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, The people whom he has chosen as his heritage!   Yesterday morning I was going through my daily ritual, standing in front of the mirror trying to make something presentable of my rested, but bed-marked face, I saw nothing remarkable, only me. Later though, upon exiting the shower, I noticed something interesting on the steamed mirror; little handprints and artwork of circles and imaginary letters adorned the mirror. Previously…

For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10 I recall one snowy winter day when Rusty was out shoveling the driveway, Benjamin, who was 2 at the time, thought it would be a good idea to help his dad shovel the snow wearing only boots, a warm winter hat and his…