Monday Musings
2008 – 2021
A Commentary on Life
Every Monday, I write a “musing.” It is a brief commentary on life seen through the lens of the scriptures. The topics and observations reflect my wide area of interests. I might comment on sports or an historical event. I might reflect on parenting skills or muse about a biography I read. The themes will range from the mundane to the theologically important.
You can browse my most recent posts below or select a year from the archives at right.
Sympathy vs. Empathy
For 35 years it has been my privilege to walk beside south county families as they encounter all the aspects of normal living. On the positive side, I have seen babies born, I have attended tons of graduation parties, I love going to the weddings...
PD: Faithful with a Few Things
A couple of weeks ago I got a phone call that a dear friend of mine had passed away quite suddenly of a heart attack. Her name was Pat, but I always called her “PD” (her initials). We met in church back in the early 70’s. I had just come to a...
77 Habits of Highly Ineffective Christians
In 1989, Stephen Covey wrote his acclaimed book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. That book sold over 20 million copies and has influenced untold thousands of executives all around the world (including me)....
Re. Re. Re. Re.
Repurpose. Reconsider. Reevaluate. Regenerate. At the start of a new year, there are so many “re” words and concepts to consider. But one of them in particular has been on my mind all week: Redeem. The dictionary definition says it means to buy or...
How Much Is Enough?
I have a friend who rather regularly bemoans the fact that her family’s household income isn’t as great as that of others in our area. I did a little checking and it does seem that the real median income in 2016 for a household in the US was a bit...
What Should We Do?
John the Baptist is an amazing figure in the New Testament. His birth was miraculous. Both of his parents (Zacharias and Elizabeth) were too old to bear children. Regardless, the angel Gabriel announced that he would be born, filled with the Holy...
Cheerful Givers
There are many things in our culture that suggest the need to give. Sad faces of malnourished dogs and cats motivate many to donate. Graphic videos of storm-ravaged villages move folks to support relief agencies. But perhaps the most notable image...
His Word in Our Hearts
It is amazing how many Biblical phrases we have embedded in our everyday language. Just for fun, take a look at the list in the next paragraph and decide whether or not you think they came from the Bible. (I will use phrases out of the King James...
Hark!-A Christmas Carol
We are entering the season of Christmas and those wonderful old hymns are all around us. You have to grin a bit when you realize that our very secular world is playing Christ honoring music. Everyday, the message that the Messiah has come (in the...
The Diet of Worms
In the age of fad diets, I thought I might focus our attention this week on the Diet of Worms. No, I am not talking about ingesting some wiggling fish bait. Actually, I am referring to an official gathering of church officials that occurred in 1521...
Hallelujah During Thanksgiving Week
I can still remember the moment when I first translated the Hebrew term for “praise the Lord.” It was late at night and I was working hard to get through Seminary. My Hebrew class was killing me (foreign languages have always been my...
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