Do you have a tendency to overestimate your stamina? Have you ever committed to an activity, then wondered where you were going to find the energy to get through it? Did you then try to shame or guilt yourself into having the energy? “I told them I would do it. They expect me to. I should be motivated. I’m supposed to be the leader
The shows “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” are interesting studies of people. Sometimes men or women on the shows are chided for not being there for “the right reasons,” because their interest is not in the guy or girl but rather in being recognizable for business promotion or to get dates off of the show. Oftentimes, other contestants
This passage relates Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus ordered procurement of the donkey to fulfill prophecy, but he did not order the palm branches, the laying down of cloaks, or the hosannas? Why are the cloaks mentioned in the story twice? The cloaks were presented as an act of respect, reverence, and
Spring arrives, the flowers open, the school year comes to a close, and again many people leave our congregation, some for the summer and some for good. As the staff evaluate past programs and plan the next ones, ministry at ECC is still best described as “receiving, equipping, and sending.” It seems that about this time every year, the
This morning, Abra read from one of her recent blog posts about Naomi’s cancer surgery. Click here to read it. What an uplifting story!
It is possible to be “very much married, but still learning to be married.” It requires learning someone else’s schedule, sense of timing, responses, etc. and taking those into consideration. The state of being married does not change, but the process of learning about it continues on and on. This concept is similar to that of being “hidden
When the circumstances of life come up against us, what do we do when we don’t know what to do?
Our initial natural response when we are faced with a circumstance beyond our control is fear. How do we move
You know those times when you read a familiar Scripture passage and something new jumps out at you? During Lent this year, that “something” for me was the centurion at the crucifixion. What might he have witnessed?
Acts was written by Luke, a “part #2” of his letter to Theophilus. In Acts 1:1-11, Jesus taught the disciples through the Spirit over the 40 days before he ascended to heaven. He planned to empower them as well through the Spirit, “the gift the Father had promised” (v. 4). Thinking that the coming of the Spirit meant that Jesus would at last
60 Minutes recently did a segment on Brian Banks, a high schooler from a rough neighborhood who had secured a scholarship to play college football. He made out with a girl, going no further, who later that day falsely accused him of rape and kidnapping. Though DNA evidence exonerated him, his attorney advised him to plead “no
