1. Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do… “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”— Luke 23:34, NIV This first saying of Jesus on the cross is traditionally called "The Word of Forgiveness”.    It is theologically interpreted as Jesus' prayer for forgiveness for the Roman soldiers who were crucifying him and all others who were involved in his crucifixion. For you and me: If Jesus could not only forgive them for what they did to

Another week in the books, folks. The countdown is REAL. The hype is REAL. The chaos behind the scenes is also very real, but we are choosing to focus on the positives. We'll be posting regular updates right here until the gates swing open — so bookmark this page, set an alarm, tell your neighbors, whatever it takes. Big announcements are coming and you do NOT want to miss them. 🚵 MOUNTAIN BIKING IS OFFICIALLY BACK, BABY!! Last week we dropped the bombshell that Gardening is

🏕️ CAMP IS ALMOST HERE AND WE ARE LOSING OUR MINDS WITH EXCITEMENT!!  🏕️ Summer is practically knocking down our gates, and honestly? WE ARE READY. Like, so  ready. We've been busy making upgrades, improvements, and general acts of awesomeness all spring long — and we cannot WAIT to show you what we've been up to! We'll be posting at least twice a week leading up to the summer, so if you're joining us this season, keep your eyes glued to this page for tips, updates, and all

Do you ever have days when you think there is no way things are going to end up right?  It’s hopeless. Too many variables and too many irons in the fire.  Many days, I believe that it would take two  of me, working 24 hours a day, to get it all done—and at least one of “me” would need to have a much larger brain. I cannot do it all—I am unable. But Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled” (John 14:3, KJV), but what happens when your heart i s  troubled, and you can’t brin

I’ve heard many stories about the prophets in the Old Testament, and more than one about Elijah. He’s also mentioned in the New Testament. Jesus spoke about Elijah in several contexts within the Gospels, acknowledging Elijah’s significant role in the history of Israel as a prophet and his symbolic return in the figure of John the Baptist, which was a fulfillment of prophecy and a herald of the Messiah’s arrival. But his apprentice, and the one that took over his role when he

“Those whom I love  I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.   Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”  (Revelation 3:19-20, NIV) Jesus spoke this to the church of Laodicea—the “lukewarm church”. So, if God loves us, He will  rebuke and discipline us. Even though we are His own sons and daughters…even though we are sealed, born again, and part of the elect?  Ye

After sleeping for a thousand years, art woke up in Tuscany at the end of the thirteenth century. The first real genius of the Renaissance was an artist named Giotto (“JOE toe”).  But he is most famous not for his sculptures or paintings, but for drawing a big circle”—-just a circle.. Pope Boniface VIII wanted to commission some paintings for St. Peter’s Cathedral,  so he sent a courtier around to find the best painter in Italy. The courtier asked all the artists to give him

“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,   bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.   If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them.   Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.   Do to others as you would have them do to you.   “If you love those who love you, what credit is tha

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.”      Matthew 15:18 It’s soooo easy to condemn the sins—- of which we are not guilty—and make excuses for our our own sins.  But Jesus was always one to turn things up-side down and cause us to focus on the most important matters, especially when it comes to our bodies and lives. Christ was clear: what you  say matters—- and it  is an accurate indicator of what is in your heart. If y

The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.   The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,   but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained

“ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them.   And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children , you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.   Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.   And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.   “If anyo

Genesis 39 “Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.   The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master.   When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did,   Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in ch

A few years ago I read an article about a book by Erica Commissar about the importance of a mother for her infant child. I’ve always been told that the mother’s touch was essential for a child to develop and that some children actually die if they are not caressed, touched and loved.  But this book argues that the mom’s intimate presence with the baby is quite important for the first three years of the child’s development, in a way a man or father could never equal.  I neve

Everyone of us in this room has a dream….or at least a hankering and yearning for good things to come our way—-tomorrow, next, or at some point. We all have hopes for “something good” to happen.  It’s healthy to have “hope” for a better life and a happy heart.  Many of us work hard, pray even harder, and pine for rest, the pleasure of seeing our efforts result in a good life for us—-and for those that we love. Now that my sons are reaching adulthood, I talk often to them abou

As many of you know, many of these meandering thoughts I write can indeed seem obscure and perhaps “odd”. But the things I read,  see, or that  capture my imagination and cause me to meditate and wonder —especially when I am traveling alone, as I am this week in France—seem to often point to something inspired. I hope this little blog helps you see some common things a bit more “uncommonly”. The verse that caused my musing this weekend is from Psalms 87:2:  “The Lord loves th

Most of us reading this devotion have suffered over something or someone  over the past few months. Why does not God wipe out all suffering, pain, and the sources of all the suffering? Why doesn’t God do what the Marvel Comic, villain,  “ Thanos ” , does and simply snap his fingers and make us all holy, impervious to pain or disease or sadness— and thus end all this fuss about sin, etc. The answer is found, crazy as it sounds, in the love of God.  If I were able, I would not