As part of a sermon illustration I walked toward the beautiful painting an artist had been creating on the platform and made a dark streak across the middle of it The congregation gasped in horror The artist simply stood by and watched as I defaced what she rsquo d created Then selecting a new brush she lovingly transformed the ruined painting into an exquisite work of art Her restorative work reminds me of the work God can perform in our lives when we rsquo ve made a mess of them The prophet Isaiah rebuked the people of Israel for their [... more]

When I have to travel across time zones by air I try various remedies to avoid jet lag I think I rsquo ve tried them all On one occasion I decided to adjust my in-flight eating to the time zone where I was heading Instead of eating dinner with the rest of the passengers I kept watching a movie and tried to fall asleep The hours of elective fasting were difficult and the breakfast that came right before we landed left much to be desired But living ldquo out of sorts rdquo with those around me worked It jolted my [... more]

The clouds hung low blocking the horizon and limiting visibility to only a few hundred yards The minutes dragged on The effect on my mood was noticeable But then as afternoon approached the clouds began to break and I saw it beautiful Pikes Peak the most recognizable landmark of my city flanked on each side by the mountain range A smile broke over my face I considered that even our physical perspective mdash our literal line of sight mdash can affect our spiritual vision And I was reminded of the psalmist singing ldquo I lift my eyes to the mountains [... more]

At the sound of the digital melody all six of us sprang into action Some slipped shoes on others simply bolted for the door barefoot Within seconds we were all sprinting down the driveway chasing the ice cream truck It was the first warm day of summer and there was no better way to celebrate than with a cold sweet treat There are things we do simply because of the joy it brings us not out of discipline or obligation In the pair of parables found in Matthew ndash the emphasis is selling everything to gain something else We might [... more]