matt tullos: writer
I love this phrase. It is a three word equalizer. Whisper it when you become scattered and life is chaotic. Perhaps it was all that fiery fundamentalist preaching I heard growing up or maybe because I had coaches that only spoke in loud, louder, and ear-ringing, facemask-grabbing vibrato. But I imagined God’s voice as a […]
I recently ran into someone I knew in college at the mall in my home town. He was THE DUDE on campus. He married the campus beauty and received an assistantship at a prestigious law school in the northeast which allowed him to return home and begin a successful law office. Amazingly, he remembered me. […]
I told my son to live with honor and He looked at me as if I was quoting Shakespeare. My grandfather taught me the definition of what honor is. I believe if he were alive today, he’d put it this way: Honor is patience with those you love, not speaking harshly, respecting people who do […]
I hereby resolve: to not take myself so seriously. to not win arguments to love the people nobody seems to be loving to connect on a deeper level with my friends to be honest in my conversations to treat myself like Jesus treats me to leave people alone when they want to be left alone […]
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us, With ever joyful hearts and blessèd peace to cheer us; And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed; And free us from all ills, in this world and the next! Martin Rinkart (1586-1649) wrote the hymn quoted above. Ornate, yes, […]
Holidays can get complicated. If we don’t pay attention our debt grows, our peace shrinks and our stress expands. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are 6 ways you can make Christmas a simpler, more beautiful season. 1. Heighten your gratitude. Paul reminds us that anxiety and gratitude don’t mix: Do not […]
When the church has disolved into fear and unrest, When mercy and love are no longer the test. When debaters use words from a seamy bordello When justice is gone and our backbone is jello. When the enemy wins without firing a shot And we lose all our scruples, then we get what we’ve got. […]
Thank You Jesus… You’ve been so faithful to this messed-up follower. You restore my sanity on a weekly basis. You reach into the nothingness and give me everything I need. You’ve been far greater and more powerful than everything I’ve faced. If I did anything good, it was because of You. You have never given […]
Theological elitists, keep moving along. There’s nothing that will interest you here. Jacked-up sinners, like me, pay careful attention. We all need a few easy-to-remember axioms that get us through the day. As a man of habit who has struggled with self- condemnation through the years, I’ve white-knuckled these truths in the middle of my […]
Beware of the trap game. In sports, the trap game is a game played against an opponent generally deemed to be easy to defeat. As a result, a person or team may not prepare as they are looking ahead to next Sunday. For pastors, Mother’s Days are often trap Sundays. But there are a few traps we can […]