a planted life | learning to love
Photo by Allan Mas on Pexels.com Teaching kids about Jesus presents many opportunities to remember the love that changes us. Yesterday I was the teacher to a group of kinder through 5th graders. The kids sat at their places around the tables, red construction paper hearts and crayons in front of them and one of... Continue Reading →
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com I’ve been in a church since the week after I was born. Every church I’ve been part of has impacted my life in a unique way. Like an arm is different from the liver, these churches were all very different. Among them were bad teachings. But at each church... Continue Reading →
My german shepherd Lukas has different barks for different things. One of his barks is very aggressive and intimidating. His body lunges, his teeth shows, he barks from his chest. That's the, "there's a predator" bark. At 5 am this morning, Lukas let out an incessant "there's a predator" bark. I shot up off the... Continue Reading →
Jesus' words about mercy and how we, as his disciples, should seek out, invite, give to, speak for, and help the marginalized in society are not subtle. "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in... Continue Reading →
We've been home from our wilderness retreat for over a week. While we were there I soaked up the beauty in the nature all around me. The tall green Pines and Spruce and the shimmering Aspen made me feel like I was tasting a bit of heaven. I intentionally observed the creation around me and... Continue Reading →
grandma was a little girl back in 45 "It's over. The war." her teacher hollered outside she remembered that day outside the schoolhouse also a church kicking the can to play she remembered being mad the teacher's news meant no more fun she wanted to run she recalled the holler little river rock house where... Continue Reading →
This is not going to be well edited. It's late. And I'm tired. Some days I'm just tired of bearing with the sins of others. I know it's ridiculously hypocritical because others are having to bear with my sins. And I know God is faithful and doesn't grow tired and does not give up when... Continue Reading →
Night number two with Grandma. She's more lucid this evening. Every time I've ever walked into her home I've always heard the same sugary-sweet Arkansas accented greeting, "Well hello there sweet heart!" Her eyes light up and she smiles like she knows everything that's going on in my life before I say a word. She... Continue Reading →
Being a believer in Christ means I believe the story that God sent his Son to be born as a baby, live the life I was meant to live in perfect love of God and others but don't (can't), and die as the only God-Man who's death could absorb all the judgement of God against... Continue Reading →
On a night (or maybe it was day), in Roman occupied ancient Israel, a young, Jewish woman writhed, and cried as the excruciating pains of labor gripped her body and tore her flesh. And there, where animals in the ancient world feed, a vernix and blood covered baby boy, swaddled in clothes to keep... Continue Reading →
Cultivating Faithfulness 