At a memorial reception in August 2013 I had a wonderful but unexpected visit with one of my late mother’s life-long friends, Kathleen Jackson. A couple months later I received an email from her which said, “I think I told you that I teach/facilitate a Christian Creative Writing class at San Quentin. The men have written some pretty powerful pieces and I am trying to get exposure for them. I would really appreciate your thoughts on this…blogging? website? publishing? Anything you think of, advice you have, I would love to hear.” This began a meaningful eight month group collaboration with Kathleen and the Men in Blue, culminating in the publishing of a book titled “Bind the Testimony”, available for purchase on Amazon.

This post contains Kathleen’s moving testimony, her introduction for the book, and a video of the Men in Blue reading excerpts of their written testimonies in the San Quentin chapel. As I reflect today on Kathleen’s and my visit over a decade ago, I am reminded of an email my cousin sent me a few months ago in which she wrote, “At this life stage, I fully believe that what we call serendipity is grace happening in every moment, calling to us, if we have ears to hear and eyes to see.” May we be blessed in recognizing and responding to these moments of God’s grace. Amen.

“What do we really know well about any creature, including most of all ourselves, and how is it that even though we know painfully little about anything, we often manage world-wrenching hubris about our wisdom?”, asks Brian Doyle in this short essay as he reflects on the mysteries of this life as he puts his children to bed. Included in this post is relevant scripture and a fascinating video about God’s amazingly complex design in His creation.

About 600 years ago, Thomas à Kempis, an Augustinian monk, wrote four booklets that became collectively known as The Imitation of Christ. This short book greatly influenced future Christian writers such as Martin Luther, Samuel Johnson, and George Eliot. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, believed it contained the best summary of the Christian life he had ever read. To this day, The Imitation of Christ remains one of the most influential devotional works in Christian history. I first read the book in college and rediscovered it just recently.

This post includes chapter 54 from this book (On the Contrary Workings of Nature and Grace) and also a poignant short clip from the movie, The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick. As God in Christ has imparted grace to us may we, through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, impart this same grace to others.

Isaiah 55:10-13 . . . “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.”

This post includes excerpts from a sermon Charles Spurgeon preached in 1887 reflecting on this beautiful and heartwarming passage from Scripture and a video link to the joyful 1st movement of Vivaldi’s spring. May you in this spring season “go out in joy and be led forth in peace” and may God’s word not return to Him empty but accomplish His purposes for you.

In the Bible God commands His people to, “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2). Later in the Sermon of the Mount Jesus declared, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matt 5:48). How can we reconcile these commands to be holy and perfect with the truth that we’re unable to do so? Later, Jesus revealed a clue as to how this seemingly impossible situation would be rectified when he told His disciples, “What’s impossible with man is possible with God” (Luke 18:27).

So how did God make this reconciliation possible? Paul explained, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21). Paul further stated that, “We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.” (Romans 3:22).

This post includes biblical encounters with the holiness of God by Moses, Isaiah, Simon Peter, the disciples, Saul, and John. It also includes a video on holiness by The Bible Project titled, “Is God Dangerous?”, and a moving song by Addison Road, “What Do I Know of Holy?” May you be blessed this day with a greater understanding of the holiness of God.

For the last few years my dad and I have followed the extraordinary career of Sydney McLaughlin, the current 400 meter hurdle world record holder. Until last week we were not aware that she suffered from crippling fear and anxiety for several years as she believed her value as a person was based on how she performed and what others thought about her.

In January 2024 a memoir of her life from 2016-2022 was published titled “Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith” in which Sydney shares her journey that leads her to realize her identity is lasting and secure only when rooted by faith in Jesus Christ, who promises His love to her whether she wins or loses.

This post includes a couple excerpts from her book and videos that bring her story to life. May Sydney’s story be an encouragement to each of us as we wrestle with understanding not so much “who we are” but “whose we are”.

When we think of Jesus one of the images that comes to mind is that of a lamb. John the Baptist, in fact, just before baptizing Jesus, declared Him to be “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.” While Jesus described Himself as “gentle and humble in heart”, there is another title of Jesus in Scripture that is the complete opposite of this. That title is the Lion of Judah. In the Lion, we see the mighty power of Christ as the eternal King exalted over of all creation to whom “every knee should bow”, and in contrast, in the Lamb, we see the meekness of Jesus whose sacrificial death on the cross atoned for the sin of all humankind.

This post includes relevant scripture, an excerpt from the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis describing Aslan (the powerful yet gentle lion), a painting by Sally Breston of Aslan, and a short video and story about this painting by Sally and her mother, Dee. May this post lead you to greater awe and wonder of the incarnate Son of God, who is indeed both the mighty Lion and the meek and gentle Lamb.

In 2012, when I was a deacon at church, we were asked at the start of the year to choose a scriptural word or phrase to live into for the year. After some reflection, I chose the scriptural phrase “pray without ceasing” as I felt my prayer life was lacking. This scripture has stuck with me to this day and I still often use “PWC” in closing an email. It is an important reminder that I (that we) live in a loving relationship with the triune God and that ongoing communication with Him is key to a healthy relationship.

To help me when praying, I came up with twelve words about prayer, each beginning with the letter “P”, which I memorized to remind me of the many attributes of prayer. As you read this post, you might consider a scriptural word or phrase to focus on in this New Year. In my experience it was life changing. May it be so for you as well.

“Instead of regarding the Bible as only a “Book of Answers” for our questions, it is worthwhile to think of it as a “Book of Questions” for our answers. As we listen, God questions us so that we can know him by means of a dialog in our hearts. As any good teacher knows, when a student earnestly wrestles with a question he learns more than if he were given a straightforward answer. Similarly, the Lord gives us permission to be without answers so that we will be free to seek, to struggle, and to own what we come to understand through our relationship with Him.” (John Parsons)

This post includes a moving essay by Brian Doyle that reflects on the last words spoken by his brother, Kevin. “The answer is in the questioning”, he said. Also included is a thought provoking essay by Scott Hubbard titled “Ask the Bible Anything - Why God Rewards the Hardest Questions.” I believe you will discover that as you seek answers to your questions in the Bible, you will find the Bible is also asking profound questions of you.

Throughout the centuries when Christians have gathered in worship they have traditionally recited the Lord’s prayer. Although most people have memorized the prayer, it has become so familiar to us that we often say it by rote and don't think about its meaning.

When Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, He gave His disciples the Lord’s prayer as a template for them and for us to use when praying. Jesus instructions were to begin the prayer saying, “Our Father…”, a stunning realization that Jesus is telling us that His Father is also our Father and that Christ is not only our Savior and Lord, but also our brother.

In his book “The Lord’s Prayer: A Guide to Praying to Our Father”, Wesley Hill re-introduces the Lord’s Prayer in a way for us to better understand how this prayer gives hope, meaning, and direction for our lives today. May this post be an encouragement to you this day.

In 2005, David Foster Wallace stepped onto the podium at Kenyon College and delivered one of the most timeless commencement speeches of all time. On September 12, 2008, just three years later, after David took his own life, his speech was adapted into a short book titled: “This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life”.

My oldest son shared with me this commencement speech a few years ago. I’ve since read it a couple dozen times and it never fails to remind me that rich spiritual meaning is present in the ordinary moments of our lives if we are willing to pay attention. May it be so.

Over the last three years I’ve taken thousands of pictures of hummingbirds in my backyard. These incredible creatures are a wonder to observe, but difficult to capture in photos. In fact, just a handful of the images I’ve taken are good enough to keep. In this post I’ve included a few of these photos, a moving essay by Brian Doyle, titled Joyas Voladoras (an ode to the heart), and related scripture.

This essay is the lead piece in a posthumously published collection of Brian’s essays titled One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder. It speaks of the hearts of hummingbirds, tortoises, whales, and humans. Doyle closes with a profound truth of how much we humans hold in our hearts during our lifetimes that isn’t revealed to anyone; yet scripture reveals that the secrets of our hearts are known by God.

I remember a few years ago when I saw a video of a murmuration of starlings I was amazed. The beauty, harmony, and grace of tens of thousands of these birds gathering in flight in perfect synchronization left me in absolute awe of the God of creation.

Although the term “murmuration” is a phenomenon that describes the large scale gathering and coordinated movements of starlings, it might also be applied to any large group of animals that move and act in a highly synchronized and coordinated manner.

The Reverend Kristen Marble writes:

As I consider the contrast between a single Common Starling and a collection of starlings joined together, I can’t help but to reflect on how this mirrors the Church. Single, solitary Christians have small to medium-sized impact, with only a few interesting or inspiring results.  But, when Christians join together as the Church, the body of Christ, numbering in the millions, something mystically beautiful transpires.  The Church ebbs and flows, changing shape and style.  Constantly changing arrangements.  Continually guided by new leaders. Creating impact upon the world it serves.

May we learn from the starlings and, animated by the Holy Spirit, join individually together into one great murmuration for Christ, the Leader of the flock. This post includes relevant scripture, inspiring meditations by Jean Wise and Mark Pattison, dramatic images and videos of starling murmurations, and a poem by Mary Oliver.

This post includes a day in the life of Jesus from the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark followed by a beautiful meditation on this scripture from Alfred Edersheim’s book, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. Every time I read this mediation I feel like I’ve been transported back to first century Capernaum to witness with awe what happened that day. Edersheim writes: “One must be blind, indeed, who sees not in this Physician the Divine Healer; in this Christ the Light of the World; the Restorer of what sin had blighted; the Joy in our world’s deep sorrow.”

Edersheim (1825-1889) was a Vienna born biblical scholar who converted from Judaism to Christianity in his early 20’s. He believed that some knowledge of ancient Jewish society was necessary for the reader of the New Testament to fully understand Jesus' life and works.

In John 8:12 Jesus made the astounding claim, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers that they were to be the light of the world, reflecting his love and grace to a world that desperately needs to hear His message of love and forgiveness.

This post includes relevant scripture and an award winning animated video titled “Alike” that to me beautifully illustrates the transforming power of love and light in a world where the daily grind tends to blind us to seeing beauty, stifles our creativity, and dims our hope.

On Christmas morning my wife and I visited my father who lives in an assisted living facility. We watched several Christmas carols on Youtube and then listened to a recording of a meaningful sermon preached by Sam Lindamood on Christmas Day 1977. Sam was the pastor at Piedmont Community Church, a non-denominational church where my parents were members. In this sermon, Sam reflects on the profound words from John 1:16, “And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”

Charles Spurgeon once said that “grace upon grace” means grace in abundance. “Like waves of the sea, when one comes, there is another close behind it. Before you can say that one is gone, there is another coming to fill its place. In long succession, wave follows wave. So it is with God’s grace. One grace has hardly come into your soul before there follows another one.”

May wave after wave of God’s grace wash over you in this New Year to give you comfort, and rest, and joy, and peace, and patience, and love, and forgiveness, and courage, and strength, on and on and on from Christ whose fullness is never depleted.

Do you ever wonder why God in His wisdom divided up time into blocks of days, weeks, months, seasons, and years? Does the repetitive cadence of these divisions give you comfort? Does it ever make you feel like you have been given a fresh start? Do the daily sunrise and sunset, or the seasonal seedtime and harvest, lead you to give thanks to the Creator for His faithfulness? Does the cycle we witness through the seasons ever awaken you to your mortality, or remind you of the resurrected life promised to all who die trusting in Christ?

In the attached meditation, titled “Ten Big Daily Reminders”, Matt Reagan shares what helps him regain a spiritual perspective to start each day. It also includes links to two favorite songs that remind me to be grateful to God for the gift of each day: Morning Has Broken sung by Cat Stevens, and Brand New Day by Van Morrison. May this post be a blessing to you as you enter the New Year!

Three years ago I came across an essay on Calvin and Hobbes that speaks profoundly to both the Law and the Gospel. For those not familiar with Bill Watterson’s comic strip, which ran for only ten years from 1985-1995, it magically explores the life between a young boy and his imaginary tiger. Calvin was named after John Calvin, the 16th century Protestant theologian, and Hobbes after Thomas Hobbes, the 17th century philosopher.

The attached essay focuses on New Year’s resolutions which Watterson reflected on year after year and concludes with his final comic strip which I believe is one of the finest illustrations of God’s amazing grace. This last strip conveys the joy and excitement of a brand new year, where God has covered the mistakes of the past, and a new life begins. “It’s like a big white sheet of paper to draw on!” exclaims Hobbes and Calvin responds “A day full of possibilities!” May you all experience God’s gift of a brand new life in Christ in 2024!

This breathtakingly beautiful children’s story imagines all of creation recognizing that the time had finally come for the fulfillment of prophecy, which foretold that at just the right time God would enter the world as a baby in Bethlehem. The story begins, “The world was about to change forever”. And it has.

The post includes prophetic scripture, the biblical story of the birth from Luke’s gospel, and a video I made a few years ago of this book being read by the author, Sally Lloyd Jones. The profound message in scripture and in this story is that “the one who made us has come to live with us”. And why? To rescue us. “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:17). May this post be a blessing to you this Christmas.

This post includes another moving Christmas story recorded in 1974 by the gifted radio broadcaster and storyteller, John Henry Faulk, for the program Voices in the Wind. This story is the favorite of my friend, Bill. In the attached post I’ve included an introductory biography of Faulk by Omar Garcia, a link the NPR audio recording of Faulk telling the story, and the written transcript.

Just like Truman Capote’s Christmas Memory, this classic story set in Texas will transport you back to simpler days. The story involves two poor Texas families who remember the meaning of Christmas and create their own joy. May this story be a joyful blessing to you this Advent.