Home
Jesus demands no help from us. He asks only to give to us. But, accepting undeserved gifts presents surprising challenges. Some say you can't survive the real world following an invisible God. The truth is, He offers the only safe passage through the mess.
I published Call for News every week for almost 5 years, exclusively in-house, for Mission Aviation Fellowship. When my assignment changed, I put the column into hibernation. Now, it not only reawakens, but also speaks to a wider audience. So, as always, I'm curious. How do you see Jesus' Good News playing out in your life and the world around you?
Feb 07
2010
Watching sunrise, 39,000’ over the Rockies. The first light pinks cloud tops below, that turn to orange, then white. The land moves up to mountains poking through brightening clouds, down into valleys still filled with morning mist, then up again. The cycles of day and night, mountain and valley close their circles [...] [...more]
Posted: under Call for News.
Tags: Art, circle, cycle, free will, friend, Jesus, mist, mountain
Watching sunrise, 39,000’ over the Rockies. The first light pinks cloud tops below, that turn to orange, then white. The land moves up to mountains poking through brightening clouds, down into valleys still filled with morning mist, then up again. The cycles of day and night, mountain and valley close their circles – just like me. I come to bury a friend.
Art Loomis knew me in the early days when I first followed Jesus. My life swerved and screeched like an old truck with loose steering and soft brakes on a mountain road. Every time I veered for the edge he’d appear with exactly the right word. Instead of sailing off into the abyss, I’d crash into his guard rail and bounce back onto the road.
Later we worked together – he the chemist, me the pilot. Art flew nearly as often as the boss but with a big difference. Art loved the idea of flying. His body hated the practice. When I raised the nose for takeoff, Art scrunched down, eyes squeezed shut. He uncoiled only when all 3 tires rolled on the ground once more. But he returned, flight after flight.
Then, I moved to the Amazon jungle and he to Colorado. His ministry grew from small circle to big, from few to many. That he followed Jesus was not so remarkable as how he followed Him. Art didn’t just do good deeds. Rather, he invested himself into every life that entered his sphere. Neither location, circumstance nor hours accumulated mattered. Only the promise of freeing a heart held him.
As we descend into Denver, I have to ask, “Now what?” Do I just say, “Thanks, that was nice,” and go on my way? After all, Jesus saved us by grace and commanded us to live by grace. Life’s all about seeing Him work, isn’t it? But the truth is, He also gave us free will. Sometimes, the ball lands in our court. And we have to choose: watch it go by or take a swing?
So, how do you allow the investments in your life to bear fruit?
Jan 29
2010
Dreams rise like mist from wet jungle as tenuous imitations of life that cling to ridge and tree. Some hide for years in deep clefts and caves carefully guarded, even nurtured as technicolor wishes.
Hope burns like a candle, shining its lone light into dark, stormy nights. It knows that somehow, someway, sometime, the [...] [...more]
Posted: under Call for News.
Tags: candle, diamond, dream, faith, hard, hope, mist
Dreams rise like mist from wet jungle as tenuous imitations of life that cling to ridge and tree. Some hide for years in deep clefts and caves carefully guarded, even nurtured as technicolor wishes.
Hope burns like a candle, shining its lone light into dark, stormy nights. It knows that somehow, someway, sometime, the object of its desire will navigate to the bright beacon.
But, wind disperses mist and fire consumes wax. The truth is that time, doubt and fear eventually wear down soft things. Dreams fade from memory to less than myth. Hope flickers out leaving only a small, greasy spot in our heart.
Fortunately, God provides something harder. Faith wears like diamond, withstands all eons, despair and terror. Long after dreams and hope dissolve, faith still trumps sense and knowledge. Manufactured neither by nature nor man, faith says God’s Word alone defines reality.
So tell me, what happened the last time God’s peace caught you just as your hand slipped off your stoutest resolve-rope?
Jan 18
2010
Some debate the length of God’s first seven days, but He made two things clear. He created time first, by declaring a beginning. Then, He fashioned everything else within the rhythm of its measured pace.
He granted us free movement through space – left or right, forward or back, climb or dive. On the other [...] [...more]
Posted: under Call for News.
Tags: Jesus, new, new year, rebirth, time
Some debate the length of God’s first seven days, but He made two things clear. He created time first, by declaring a beginning. Then, He fashioned everything else within the rhythm of its measured pace.
He granted us free movement through space – left or right, forward or back, climb or dive. On the other hand, He denied us willful motion through time – no ambling earlier, nor racing later. And, no standing still in the moment, either. He strapped us firmly into the one-way, monospeed, nonsteerable, brakeless time-ride. Now, because our calendar says so, we mark the passing of another year. So, what do 12 pages have to do with anything? Seems artificial, almost arbitrary.
Turns out, He placed days and years as signs along the highway. Some, like birthdays, mark traffic flow. Others read like the old Burma Shave slogans with messages of what lies ahead – if you want to eat, plant now. All good to know, but, the recurring cycles mark the most important news. Each new year declares that Jesus replaces old nature with new. He never mutters, remodel, fix, or patch. Rather he shouts, rebirth, new start, and second chance.
So, I’m curious, how does He ask you to manage your portion of creation’s one fixed asset?
Jul 05
2009
Late 4th of July evening after good volleyball and plenty of dessert, our friends headed downtown for Boise’s big fireworks display. We, on the other hand, acted responsibly. Tomorrow’s church duties called so we drove home. And there, in the final minutes of our northern latitude’s long dusk, we crested the [...] [...more]
Posted: under Call for News.
Tags: 4th of July, celebrate, freedom, grace
Late 4th of July evening after good volleyball and plenty of dessert, our friends headed downtown for Boise’s big fireworks display. We, on the other hand, acted responsibly. Tomorrow’s church duties called so we drove home. And there, in the final minutes of our northern latitude’s long dusk, we crested the brow of Black Cat Road for the descent into Treasure Valley.
On the far side, fiery orange stretched horizon to horizon outlining the mountains. Above the line, the hidden sun’s hot glow melted into the deep indigo of advancing night. Below it, stark mountain silhouettes framed warm clusters of city lights – Boise to the right, Meridian before us, Eagle beyond that, Nampa to the left then Caldwell a bit farther. Enchanting summer night view with just my honey in the car, windows open, hot wind buffeting hair, carrying farm smells and field sounds. A fitting end to holiday ease.
Then we saw them. Bursting red bubbles, arcing green streaks, brilliant flowers exploding into burning showers cascading back to black earth. Like a technicolor pot set to boil, fireworks suddenly appeared in city and town, village and hamlet. Dozens and dozens of displays appeared. Some close, others popping above distant trees. Some official presentations, others spontaneous, grass-root affairs. But all clearly unembarrassed, in-your-face, joyful celebrations of freedom and recognition of great gifts received.
A will to celebrate freedom. The desire to celebrate freedom. Safety to celebrate freedom. Prosperity to celebrate freedom. Strength to celebrate freedom. Freedom to celebrate freedom. Blessings so thorough, we’re free to think them normal. We parked on that hill for most of an hour, duties set aside, basking in the unexpected joy of His vast grace.
So, tell me. What happened the last time you grasped the fearful freedom His unmerited favor brings?
Nov 02
2004
One day, religious leaders challenged Jesus when the people worshiped him. He didn’t lower his gaze, furrow his brow with a half smile and give a bemused shake of his head saying “No, no, no, their enthusiasm carries them to excess.” Instead he looked the question in the eye and said the rocks would praise him if men did not. He agreed that he was Lord and master. He [...] [...more]
Posted: under Call for News.
Tags: arrogance, Christ, condemnation, humility, rocks
One day, religious leaders challenged Jesus when the people worshiped him. He didn’t lower his gaze, furrow his brow with a half smile and give a bemused shake of his head saying “No, no, no, their enthusiasm carries them to excess.” Instead he looked the question in the eye and said the rocks would praise him if men did not. He agreed that he was Lord and master. He proclaimed himself the Father’s Son and source of true food and drink. He claimed to be God, the Creator of the universe.
Yet, despite all that, the same Spirit also says he wouldn’t break a bruised reed. It names him the humble standard for the believer to follow. With us, however, condemnation often mimics humility. The voice in our head says that we are not – fill in the blank here - smart enough, tall enough, pretty enough, skinny enough, spiritual enough, strong enough, lucky enough, clever enough, rich enough, a good enough pilot, good enough mom, good enough wife, good enough husband, good enough lover, good enough missionary, whatever. The enemy’s tape plays the mantra over and over until it becomes our very own truth.
Fortunately, counterfeits present only incomplete truth. God’s Word does call us unworthy, unrighteous and doomed for destruction. But condemnation’s lie stops us there. Running from arrogance, we don’t recognize the inside-out sock of selfishness and call it humility instead. We forget that He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. The whole truth adds that, while apart from Him we can do nothing, we can, in fact, do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Christ alone changes cracked pots into fountains of living water.
So, how are His blessings flowing out of you and those around you?
