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Come and See for Yourself

Come and see for yourself!

Mary Magdalene: It was early morning. I, Mary Magdalene along with Mary, the mother of James, was determined to anoint his body. He, Jesus of Nazareth, had been crucified two days earlier. As was our custom we had rested on the Sabbath; now we wanted to honor him by anointing his body which was in the tomb owned by Joseph. We left our home quietly, quickly, looking…

Peter:  It was early morning.…

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Breathtaking!

  Wow!

  Spectacular!

No words to capture the moment!

No image to capture the moment!

The near and the far!

The View! The View of Perdonene, Italy, July ’17

Where’s my focus?

The leaf, the cluster of grapes, the quiet serenity of standing amidst the rows of terraced rows of grapevines on the hillside, the far distance town, the castle tucked away on the hillside across the valley …

What do I choose to focus on? What captures and holds my attention?

It’s important to be attentive to what’s right in front of me in the moment and for the day: relationships, commitments, opportunities, chores, job, etc. These are often life-giving, necessary for survival, give a worthy sense of purpose and fulfilling. Sometimes these may cause anxiety, stress, tiredness and a sense of being on a treadmill.

What do I choose to focus on? What captures and holds my attention?

It’s important to be attentive to the view – the long view – the beautiful context of what’s right in front of me. The long view reminds me of the Creator who knows me more than I know myself; who loves me me more than my willingness to love myself; who forgives me more than I forgive myself; who invites me to live in Grace rather than Guilt. If you have a moment check out Grace Wins, Matthew West.

Both views are necessary: the moment demands my attention; the long view inspires priorities of the moment; the long view is eternal.

      The View Breathtaking! Wow! Spectacular! No words to capture the moment! No image to capture the moment! The near and the far!

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Walk-a-mile: How I met your Mother and Grandmother

Walk-a-mile: How I met your Mother and Grandmother

She was in the kitchen rushing to make final preparations for supper during Jr. High week at Camp Luz Tuesday, July 9, 1974. He rushed in for an early supper because of his English Composition class that evening at Wayne College. Two others brought him a plate filled with food and giddily poured him a glass of water. He looked toward the kitchen … their eyes met for a fleeting moment … a smile ……

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The Souvenir

It was mid-afternoon as we stepped off the train in Sacile (Italy) after a delightful time in Venice. Reaching in my front pockets I felt for my phone in one pocket and checked for my … Nothing, emptiness, panic, a deep internal hollow sensation pierced my gut! “I don’t have my wallet!” “Are you sure?” A shout to the distant train worker on the platform: “Wait!” Running toward her the predicament…

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Thinning!

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning … ” (Romans 8:22a) Before thinning After thinning                   The branches are over-loaded, bending low to the ground and seemingly close to breaking. I’ve seen it before: what seem to be full branches bending, bending, bending in a stressed downward arc as the peaches increase in size … until they no longer can hold the weight and they…

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A Prayer for our Nation

A Prayer for our Nation

Confession: Often I don’t know the words to use when I pray for our nation. Today, I shared and lead this prayer in our church. Now, I share it with you. In an age of twisted values, we have lost the truth we need. In sophisticated language, we have justified our greed. By our struggle for possessions, we have robbed the poor and weak. Hear our cry and heal our nation; your forgiveness, Lord, we…

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The Jam Maker

Take a bite of this! Recently we completed our annual ritual of making strawberry jam: 13 cups sugar, 7 cups crushed strawberries, 2 packages Sure-Jell and 2 cups water. The recipe is entitled “Strawberry Jam”. With full disclosure of  the ingredient list it may be better to entitle the recipe “Sugared Strawberries”! Which of these is the most important ingredient? It has to be the strawberries!…

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The legend

The legend is no more. The message came as a group text to family members Saturday morning. Quickly replies came: “So long buddy, Irrepaceable, Best dog we ever had, Agreed.” I sat surprised at the tears which came so quickly! I rationalized it was time and right to have him put down because of age and the typical limitations that come as a dog ages. I had said my goodbye several months ago. But…

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Esau, Jacob and Christmas

Esau, Jacob and Christmas

For twenty years the bitterness, the betrayal, stirred in their hearts. One fled, afraid of his brother’s threats. The other, lived in rage at his brother’s betrayal. While the years apart softened their hearts the deeply rooted fear and rage had become their identity. Becoming parents, raising their sons and daughters reminded them of what they once had in their childhood. Occasionally each…

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A friend composed and read the Confession below during our worship time nearly two weeks ago. I share it because I resonate with it! I share it because it articulates a personal journey. I share it because it is a confession of faith! As Advent season begins the Confession moves me from the “madness” of confusion of mindsets (worldviews) which is overwhelming at times to “life” in the Lordship of…

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Winterize your garden

It was chilly, windy and partly sunny as I prepared our garden for winter.  It’s my fall ritual after harvest and after a hard frost has removed life from the garden. Tomato vines and pepper plants are pulled up from the dirt; I carefully shake the dirt of the roots. Dead stalks of other vegetable plants are uprooted. Even weeds, which overtake the garden during September, are pulled out of the…

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Behind the tears ...

Behind the tears …

The sounds of shuffling shoes, opening and closing bags, and subdued sniffles filled the vast space of the locker room at Medina High School. Hesitantly we formed a circle. Darting teary red eyes initially avoid contact with the eyes of others. The disappointment of knowing we fell short on the scoreboard, that we were wearing silver medals, that we accepted the silver plague is evident in our…

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Signs of summer

For sure signs of summer

They dart around me as I mow my yard! Diving from the air to swoop in closely to the ground to catch their meal of insects stirred up from mowing. It reminds me of my youthful days on the farm: sitting on the puke-green Owatonna 10′ self-propelled mower / swather cutting fields of alfalfa while watching them darting and swooping around me is a delightful summer memory. My childlike imagination…

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Years of repeating ... "Happy Father's Day ... I forgive you

Peter asked Jesus, How many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Seven times? Jesus answered, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven. I’ve asked, and continue to ask, Jesus, How many times must I forgive my father? Seven times? Jesus answers, I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven. Scene #1: As we ran our layup drills on senior night I looked…

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Right place, right time, right action ... look Who's in charge!

This past Thursday I called for an appointment at Med-Pro for the annual mandatory physical because of my CDL to drive school bus.Surprised that I could get in the next day (Friday) I was given 4-5 time slots to pick from. I took the 2:00 appointment figuring it was for the school so therefore could be done on school time. As I drove my mind was distracted (and excited) by the meeting I had just…

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Joys of my "job" #4 While I enjoy the dynamics of the classroom ... I'm especially gratefully for the "non-classroom" opportunities our school provides.

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Central Christian - Hopi Mission School Mini-Term

Central Christian – Hopi Mission School Mini-Term

Today’s post is a video narrative of my recent eight day trip with six students for a cross-cultural service learning experience in NE Arizona. Click on the link for our story.

Central Christian – Hopi Mission School Mini-Term.