Moving blog location

To my loyal readers and anyone seeing this in future: I'm moving this blog and future posts to a new URL:  freshgrace.blogspot.com in keeping with the real name of the blog.  I'll continue posting there the wonderful, amazing, mind-blowing and add-your-own-adjective love of God for us crazy humans, and hope you and others will benefit from it. Thanks for reading!

Thanks to...

Sitting at a high-school graduation, and just got surprised when the speaker sent all the grads out into the audience with a white rose to find their family and thank them for their support over the years. I've never seen that done in all the ceremonies I've been to.
It reminded me again how much I owe to so many people in my life. Some who loved and supported me when I was discouraged,  and some who kicked my butt when I needed it. Some who taught me in a classroom, and others who taught profound lessons in the school of life. Some by words, many more by ezample.
Here's to all of you, whether you ever see these words or not. I never said thenk-you enough, and this isn't enough either, but it's a start.
How about you?  Who do you want to thank?

Listening All the Time

The original 12 disciples had it easy. Jesus walked along and talked, and all they had to do was

The Gift of the Holy Spirit

I think God enjoys drama, good drama, in the healthy sense of raising everyone's expectations

The Giver of Everything Good

Last time I wrote about God as a great giver of all good things. Let's continue. Just to begin the list, he has given us

The Giver Wins Again

Mother's Day is coming up. Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and all are reasons to

Hurry and Cut the Grass Before the Snowstorm

I had to laugh - I've been wanting to cut the grass (it's called "mow the lawn" in some parts of the world) for about a week now

John Wayne, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Me (and Jesus)

When I was a boy, John Wayne was the epitome of rugged masculinity, able to fight off the Apaches with one hand and embrace

It's Not Over Yet

This past Sunday, we celebrated the resurrection from the dead, to new life, of our Lord Jesus Christ. That event changed

Worthy, and Accepted!

In 1 Cor 11:17-34, Paul gives instructions to a mixed-up church about gathering for the Lord's Supper, as it is commonly called -- remembering and

The "Abandoned" Savior

Reading through the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, I am struck once again by some of the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. Two in particular seem

Snow and Forgivensss

Yesterday's snowfall was unexpected and lovely, blanketing the area in a sheet of white. Snow is

It's Time to Take Off the Veil

Moses spent time with God (Exodus 34) and his his appearance was changed. He had to wear a veil to keep from scaring everyone. Jesus was changed

Taking Off the Veil, Part 2

Last week I wrote about our need to have the spiritual veil covering our eyes removed, by

Taking off the Veil

Spiritual vision involves seeing the way God sees, not the way we humans see (1 Sam. 16:7).  I know several people with

Lent 101

Like me, you may have heard the practice of Lent criticized, either by calling it "lint" (there's

"Are We There Yet?" Christian Life Is a Journey

I used to think the word "grace" was just a wimpy way of thinking about following Jesus -- so that people who couldn't obey

Monks and Ordinary People

It sure would be nice to always feel close to God, wouldn't it?  I think we all would like that.  A long time ago, people who were especially passionate about connecting with God took a drastic step, to

Success: Listening and Obeying

How much of 'success' is hard work, and how much is a gift from God?  A lot of people quote the old proverb that success is "10% inspiration

Bilbo and the Fishermen

Gandalf interrupts Bilbo's quiet morning

The new Hobbit movie is a beautiful work of film-making.  This morning I saw a parallel

What Is God's Name? (Part 6)

The Bible names God as three Persons:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit; yet some scholars and

Free Indeed!

Luke 4:18-19  "“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
    that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,
 and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come."  

Jesus quoted from Isaiah to state the purpose of his ministry (setting all humanity free), but they have