My first boss (Bruce) was more of a mentor and friend than a boss. He taught me volumes about wildlife and the outdoors. Bruce had a work ethic like nobody else I have ever seen. When he worked it was real, and when he hunted it was as intense as when he worked. Bruce however, was not a believer in Christ. He admitted there must be a God; he just didn’t believe in the afterlife, Christ’s story, or that the Bible is any more than a history book (with errors). Bruce was homeless at 12, after his parents divorced. He never had a nickel given to him and worked sweat labor for everything he had. He never graduated High School (it interfered with his work schedule) and is now probably the wealthiest man I know. He didn’t know how to deal with my becoming a Christian in 1979. He was…
2022 September
Our son and his family in Colorado have a farm on which they raise chickens (among other stock). He sent me a picture yesterday of evidence that a coyote is coming around their chicken pens at night. Our grandson is very faithful however at locking up the chickens every night and letting them out each morning. All it would take is one time of forgetting. Or thinking, “the coyote won’t come tonight.” The coyote (Canis Latrans) is just an American plains smaller version of the wolf (Canis Lupus). Knowing the wolf (or coyote) must kill is sufficient to knowing how to protect. Knowing isn’t what protects however. One time of not shutting the gate will show the importance of intentional protection. Protecting the church can be monotonous. The repetitious watching of the parking lot, the doors, the halls and behind the stage can generate a normalcy bias that lends to…
In 1982, I had a critical decision to make. I got a call that seemed the perfect answer. Praying over it, I was drawn to a passage that didn’t seem to fit. Studying it however, it became clear. In I Kings, 18, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal to bring down fire by praying to their god (Baal). As the Baal bunch danced and chanted, Elijah mocked them. He taunted them to “yell louder.” Maybe Baal was far away or asleep. He said Baal could be “pursuing” (interpreted as Baal having a bowel movement). The Baal bunch failed, and Elijah won. He had them all killed. God sent the rain and Elijah outran Ahab’s chariot to deliver the great news. But then came the 19th chapter. Queen Jezebel was mad about the Baal bunch slaughter. She said, “May the gods (blah, blah, blah) … if by this time tomorrow I…