The image of Jimmy Stewart, as George Bailey, running through the streets of Bedford Falls shouting to everyone he sees, even the Bank Examiner, “Merry Christmas!” is a picture of the joy this season offers, for real. That part always gets me. It was November 9th. I had arrived at the church for a movie night which…
Category: Encouragement
Real Walks Take Courage
In my prayer journal, August 3, 1982, less than one year after our walk began as a married couple (August 22nd the previous year), Karen was hitting the pain of some of the many points of injury she had experienced as a child. She was in counseling. It was tough from the start for us…
I See You
“I see you!” Those are famous words from the 2009 James Cameron blockbuster movie AVATAR as the heroine, Neytiri, rescues the hero, Jake Sully, in the final scenes. She can see “him,” even though looking into his human not his avatar’s face. To be thus seen is to be seen as who he is, it…
Recharge
In the Ontario International Airport in California they have podiums at which to plug in and charge devices while sitting on stools or standing next to the podium. I had plugged in my computer, plugged my phone into the computer and began a personal hotspot and gone to work. I had been hammering away at…
The. God. Who. Speaks.
We were quietly sitting in worship. I had directed people to listen and write what they heard God speaking to their hearts in that moment of quiet. Dressed in a bright red vest, with her red piece of paper before her, this woman was ready to write what she heard God speaking. Instead of writing,…
Meaning…
John and I had just finished our laps and I began to stretch and asked, “So, John, what gives your life hope and meaning?” He looked at me surprised and said, “Isn’t that a kind of heavy question for first thing in the morning?” “Perhaps,” I responded, “but never a better way to start a…
Mercedes’ Store
It was a vision that took Tim Gibson away from World Servants, an organization he had founded and led for a decade, to start another organization. After traveling to some 46 countries on missions trips, Tim wanted to find out what it would be like to focus on a couple communities and invest over the…
Treasure Hunts
On Thursday, Debbie Gable and Rebecca Monoghan and I met at the church and prayed in preparation to going out to see who we could love on for Jesus. Debbie had printed out instructions used at Bethel Church in Redding, CA when they do what they call “Treasure Hunts.” In those, they ask God to…
Rise Above the Clouds
A while back a friend of mine, Mike, and I got on the phone. Mike and I have a weekly phone conversation on Wednesday mornings. He is a pastor in my denomination and lives across the nation in Virginia. We have been friends for 16 years. When we started talking that particular Wednesday and he…
You Will Be Blessed
A while back, my friend Rebecca and I met at the local Bales’ parking lot to seek out people to pray for and love on for Jesus. Basically, there is a paucity of outreach happening, we feel. There are so many people with walking pain all over their lives, and there just are not enough…
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