writing, worship and contemplative living
He needs to eat, to be loved, and held closely.
He needs to be protected.
The little guy can really do nothing for himself.
He’s a high maintenance gift from God.
Such a miracle! Such an overwhelming revelation of God’s power and artistry!
But as you bathe him, provide for him, He’s going to need something from you. Continue reading “He’s Going to Need You”
“Our longing to know who we really are—which is the source of all our discontent—will never be satisfied until we confront and accept our solitude. There we discover that the truth of our belovedness is really true. Our identity rests in God’s relentless tenderness for us revealed in Jesus Christ.”
Lord, I pray that you will help me completely identify with Your saving grace that covers me.
I came to God with fashion sense
And clothes I bought at great expense
I knew the drill
All things down pat.
God said, I never wanted that.
I huddled with my life long friends. Continue reading “I Never Wanted That”
I have a confession to make. Love really hurts these days. It all began when my 14 year old got MMA lessons for his birthday. Often I come through the door of the house and somewhere lurking in the shadows is a 140 pound guy with the body fat of a coat hanger who will bring me into submission. This was fun when he didn’t know Brazilian Jujitsu. Continue reading “I Wrestle NOT”
My son is a church planter on Xbox. I write this and yet I don’t even know what it means. Not exactly. Evidently he’s built a church on a game map and then he invites gamers to come to the Bible Study on Xbox live. All the members keep their game weapons outside the edifice Caleb somehow constructed in the Xbox universe. Continue reading “Upgrading the Antennae”
As dads, we have the unique opportunity to reveal truth to our children. We get the chance to tell them how life works. These are conversations happen along the way. They are unforgettable, sometimes unpredictable and other times- just plain weird. Here’s one example:
The context: Having just listened on CD to Dr. James Dobson explain the mechanics of sex while driving down the interstate.
I never understood the dog. I didn’t really like the him as much as others in this house but over a period of months, I became the object of worship. He picked me out and said, “He’s mine!” This weenie dog couldn’t wait for me to sit down. He hated it when I sat in a desk chair. He was more at peace when I sat on the couch so he can rest his head on my lap. He freaked when I left in the morning and he celebrated my arrival in the evening. He was the most emotionally needy, dependent creature I’ve ever met. He wouldn’t be ignored. Continue reading “A Dog’s Life”
Jesus
creator
King of every king
and yet this was Mary’s boy.
blood spilled grace on me
and still Mary’s boy
piercing your heart Mary
to save me
forsaking you
and his kingdom
for me.
What a terrible loss
you suffered
to watch this one you feed, changed, embraced
carried, protected, and nourished
now condemned to bear nails and thones
whips and shame
so that we could all come to the table.
and face the Gethsemane of every broken generation
he cried for his Daddy as the sunset brought shadows
on the edge of town.
You had others
but that night He was your only Boy.
There once was a church on a hill by the bay,
with a wonderful spirit of love, you might say,
till a ragged stranger came inside
and rumors abounded far and wide.
Some thought he came from a shelter or prison,
and feared he might cause the church shame or a schism. Continue reading “The Ragged Stranger”