The Reset Button We Need For 2022

I think we are just beginning to recognize and unpack the damage caused by the pandemic lock downs. The separation of friends and families from normal interaction has left it’s toll on the culture. I would argue the effect has been even more profound on the church. If you are/were a faithful church participant you had likely bought into the truth that we need one another on this journey. Many of us have sacrificed that gift of one another to this insidious virus. I have seen responses and behaviors from churchgoers that surprised even me and I wrote a book called When Bad Christians Happen to Good People! I think the isolation may have exposed some baggage that had been buried under busyness and routine. More on that in next week’s musing. I am suggesting that we need to admit this separation has had a negative effect on most of us. It feels like patience is in record short supply
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Thawing Out Some Lessons From Historic Cold

Today the temps soared over 70 degrees in Texas. That was an eighty degree swing in just a couple of days. The snow is just a memory but the effects of a record-breaking cold will linger for days and weeks. Joni and I were fortunate to not lose power for more than a few minutes at a time. We dodged the broken pipe issue that continues to plague so many fellow Texans. We had clean and drinkable water throughout the storm. Many of our friends and neighbors were not so fortunate. Thousands lost power for days as household temps dropped to dangerous lows. Pipes froze and left them without hot or cold water. Stores were unable to restock essential items and shoppers found aisles of empty shelves and coolers. As I prayed for those affected I reflected on the hard lessons learned through the pandemic and this polar blast. For me the main lesson I have learned is realizing what
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I Choose Hope and Light over Doom and Gloom

I remember reading Chicken Little when I was a child. The story goes that a young chick was walking along when an acorn hit him on the head. With no further investigation Chicken Little came to the kind of well reasoned conclusion that floods our internet today. The sky is falling! Today Chicken Little would be an excellent anchor for a cable network. Every time I violate my own personal mental health policy and turn on a news network I am plunged into despair and fear. The sky is falling! Look! There is an expert with an important title displaying a colorful chart to prove it! Hear me out. I know there is an important role in communicating information for our safety. But the tone, choice of graphic descriptors, and sheer volume of fear mongering is depressing. When I really fall into the abyss and survey social media I see overwhelming fear, anger, gloom, and apocalyptic doom. Again, I understand
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21 Connect: Day 7 – This Crisis Can Teach us the Wisdom of Sabbath

On the seventh day God had finished his work of creation, so he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and declared it holy, because it was the day when he rested from all his work of creation. Genesis 2:2-3, NLT God did not need to rest. He was modeling for His creation that we need to slow down and relax. Think of that. The God of Creation can kick back and enjoy what has been accomplished. Our Creator is telling us that we are creatures and not machines. What is wrong with us that we cannot take moments to enjoy and appreciate both our gifts of grace and the work of our hands? God understood that the body, mind, and spirit need rest and refueling time. Our culture has lost that instinct and ability to give ourselves permission to rest. Now a worldwide pandemic has forced many of us to slow down. For some it
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Concerned? Of course. Afraid? No.

Watching the news about the potential impact of the Covid-19 virus is depressing and frightening. It is so easy to react with fear about the future. But I can’t get around a constant message from our Lord. Do not be afraid. Over 80 times you find the phrase “do not be afraid” in the Bible. Perhaps the most relevant example is when Jesus was preparing His followers for His departure. His words are a comforting balm for us today. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 12:27) I am concerned about how this pandemic is affecting the world, our country and those I hold dear. But I am not afraid. Honest followers of Jesus know that suffering, hardship, and trials are a part of a fallen world and the refining process of His redeeming
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