Archive for February 2019

It was 1975. Tanned, relaxed and ready to return to work after a three-month coast-to-coast tour of the U. S., I found myself in Pittsburgh. It was decision time. Pulling my 17-foot Shasta travel trailer behind my 1973 Mercury Marquis with most of my belongings, I had a choice to make: return to California—where I…

I’ve always wanted to excel in each of my undertakings whether sports, business, home life, teaching, writing, and consulting.  This gift is part of my DNA, but it also is a curse.  Being the best in all things of life is impossible.  And when I failed to be the best, it troubled me.  I do…

As a leader of a catering and event firm since 1980, I’ve learned the importance of servant leadership.  Picture an upside pyramid with me at the bottom, supporting my team by creating a motivating culture, where we endeavor to engage our team members to delight our guests.  Our culture is warm and caring, yet we…

Have you ever been frustrated with unanswered prayers?  I have.  One habit that dragged me down throughout my life was a tough one.  I’d pray, but God didn’t answer.  Last June I realized that my prayers were half-hearted, and that I truly needed to get God’s attention.  I laid it all out on the table,…

Many today have the attitude of my way, right away, and why pay?  Instant gratification is their mantra.  And each of us has been tempted at times to become impatient for those things we want. And that’s human nature but not God’s nature. Every day we encounter those who want it their way, right away,…

What is faith?  The writer of Hebrews in today’s Scripture describes faith as confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen.  It is the evidence of things we cannot see.  Think back to when you were very young, and your birthday approached.  You were excited and anxious.  You knew you would receive…

Most of us are familiar with David’s 23 Psalm.  The Lord is my Shepherd, where David compares the Lord to shepherds who take care of their sheep. But at the end the Psalm, he writes that the Lord prepares a feast before us in the presence of our enemies.  And what a feast he’s prepared…

Today we read in Mark about how Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida, an ancient city north of the Sea of Galilee in Israel.   But why did Jesus have to touch the man a second time for him to see?  Afterall, He could have done it immediately with one touch. Perhaps He did this…

Sometimes things are right in front of us and we simply don’t see them.  My dad used to say, “If it was a bear it would bite you.”  Today’s Gospel message from Mark is another example of this.  Jesus had just fed thousands of people, and the disciples were now with Him on a boat…

Happy Presidents Day! (In my youth we celebrated two birthdays for Abraham Lincoln and George Washington) Mark writes how the religious leaders of Jesus’ day demanded that He perform a miracle to prove who He was.  Of course, Jesus said “NO WAY” because he knew their hearts were so hardened against Him, that no mater…