New Year, New Direction

Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Yes, it has been quite a while since I have posted anything on this blog site!  That wasn’t my plan; it just gradually happened. Because of the time you have generously given me over the years with your subscriptions, blog readings, and encouraging comments, you are owed some explanation. Some …

Dec 31, 2017 – “A People in Pursuit of God’s Purpose”

https://youtu.be/MZNcGDYF0Tc

Old Hope in the New Year

The ball has dropped, the fireworks have burst, the toasts were raised, and it is now Day One of a New Year. I don’t know about you, but 2016 has been a year I am happy to move on from.  Almost from the beginning, it seemed to be shaping into a year of pain.  Sometimes …

What theme will steer your year?

Yesterday our family engaged in a yearly tradition that is not exactly timeless—we purchased our 2016 calendars. As I browsed the mall kiosk I wondered what I wanted to spend the next year looking at. Obviously a calendar is great for keeping one organized, but the pictures have a way of thematically inspiring that organization. …

Advent VI: When Hope Comes Home

When Luke started his Advent story, he began in the temple, which for the Jewish faithful was home. It had been rebuilt centuries earlier by returning exiles to signal God’s hope was alive in the homeland. Hope was in short supply, however, “in the days of Herod”. Amidst expanding empires, Israel’s role in civilization had …