Faith
Tally Marks
“Because I’ve made too many mistakes.”
This was the raw response that fell from my child’s lips earlier this week. Sin had reared its ugly head in our relationship and the requisite consequences followed suit. Tears fell. The whole relational exchange was very normal (perhaps less than desirable, but normal)… up until that point. Listening as my child walked away, I overheard a disconcerting, caustic cluster of negative self-talk. Read More
Fireworks, Lemonade and Salvation: But Why?
Independence Day: The day we celebrate our liberation from England and rejoice in the freedoms we have as Americans.
I offer sincere thanks to the many who fought for those freedoms (and those who continue to defend them). As a country, we enjoy parades and fireworks, BBQ, brownies and lemonade—and a day off of work. This is truly a national party. It is worthy of celebration. Yet somehow I can’t help thinking that we’ve somewhat missed the point.
The Better Thing
If God offered you an angelic escort throughout your day, would you accept?
Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it? To have one of God’s powerful, created beings alongside for all things momentous and mundane? Seems to me that would provide a sense of peace and assurance, as well as accountability.
Moses and the Israelites got that offer from God in Exodus 33:
I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.
— Exodus 33:2 NIV
In the next verse God explains why (a result of the egregious golden calf incident of Exodus 32):
“Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.”
— Exodus 33:3 NIV
God essentially says He’ll spare the Israelites from His wrath by sending an angel powerful enough to rid the land of their enemies instead of going with them Himself. On the surface it doesn’t seem like a bad deal, does it? My pastor recently pointed out, however, that Moses knew better: Read More
The Multi-Vine
Both feet planted firmly on the ground, I was only too happy to take pictures. But, please don’t ask me if I’d like to try it.
One student after another donned helmets and harnesses to face the Multi-Vine at camp last week. With safety checks complete, they’d climb the ladder and then lay hold of the grips that have been inserted into the tall pine tree to make their way up, up, up to the challenge. A thin cable stretched from one tree to another, some 40 feet away, at a height of 40 feet in the air. Overhead, just out of reach, was a similar cable… from this one dangled lengths of rope at intervals. These sections of rope were the only means campers had to convey themselves from one tree — across the cable — to the other.
In a word
This week I’m away speaking at a high school camp. Three hundred students gathered to seek God through play, worship, study and fellowship. It’s awesome.
During one worship session, the students were invited to write down those things for which they are thankful on a shared canvas. This one moved me deeply. Does it you?
We’ll resume our “scheduled programming” next week. Thanks for reading along.
Rhythms
Summer vacation: excitement or dread?
Water Gun Fun. Copyright Holmberg 2009. All Rights Reserved.
School’s out in our neck o’ the woods. That means my carefully crafted schedule has been turned on its ear. No more neatly slated, color-coded Outlook appointments. Gone are the large chunks of time allotted for writing… something I apparently can only accomplish in blocks that exceed 120 minutes.
For many parents, the summer is a mixed bag, a combination of relief from monitoring homework coupled with a disdain for the unstructured time that seems to drive our kids to a screen or the pantry. Read More
His Alone
Two sports. Same season. Vastly different results.
My daughter has been playing basketball in a non-school league, as mentioned in On the Court: Part I and Part II. During exactly the same timeframe, she’s also been competing on her school’s track team. In terms of success, the two experiences have been diametrically different.
In track, she’s been her team’s lead female runner in the 1600M, earning the highest place for the school in each meet even if she didn’t win. On the basketball court, however, her team has suffered excruciating losses, logging 30 and 50 point deficits with nary a win for the entire season. Read More
Falling Fresh
She seemed glazed and disconnected.
As I sat on the edge of her bed, my daughter expressed a lack of desire to spend time in Sunday school, youth group and even small group. Her complaint: boredom.
The same stories.
The same lessons.
The same characters.
Yawn.
She’s right. We read the same passages over and over again. Paul starts to sound like that friend from high school who insists on recounting his adolescent antics at every reunion. The mere mention of Mary and Martha’s disagreement makes me want to go clean my refrigerator. We must have heard the account of Jesus feeding the 5000 once for every person He fed that day. Read More
In the dark. But never alone.
The night must have seemed exceptionally dark.
In Genesis 32, we find Jacob fleeing his uncle Laban and returning to his homeland to face the brother he’d deceived many years prior. He was fearful of this fated reunion, dividing his family and property into groups to prevent losing them all if Esau attacked (Genesis 32:7, 8).
The night before the two shall meet, Jacob separates himself from his family. In the dark of the night he wrestles with a man — who turns out to be God in an angelic, physical body — until the break of day. Jacob’s dark and sleepless night probed my heart this week, exposing the faulty way I’m prone to view my struggles: Read More
On the Court: Part II
The faith illustration didn’t stop there for me, however.
The coach’s instruction, audible to those listening intently, was one simple word: “Doubles.” The girls immediately shifted their defensive strategy and double-teamed their tall, ball-carrying opponent.
We’re not meant to go through life alone.
Especially when facing challenges or a powerful adversary. God calls us to a strategy of ‘doubles.’ Read More