I posted something to Facebook 5 years ago when a friend was dealing with a death in the family and just came across it, ironically, two days after a death in our family. I am not reposting it to shame anyone, or guilt anyone, because we have been the recipients of an outpouring of love, … Read more
Growing up as a third-generation Pentecostal in the Church of God of Prophecy, I remember hearing my parents and other older members of our church tell amazing stories. They related miracles, signs, and wonders as normative. My mother often told me of winter services in small country churches in the south, and how she witnessed … Read more
You want to make everything special for the family. You spend several days preparing the menu, assembling the ingredients, making sure the house is ready to receive your guests, your beloved family. They are, after all, your closest and most important relationships, the people you live to serve. The preparations all done, and the meal … Read more
The AMEX Delta SkyMiles fiasco It has been a frustrating couple of days. I thought I had a plan — a great plan — for saving money, but, alas, I apparently didn’t read the fine print. Pull up a comfy chair, refresh your beverage (a little Chick-Fil-A lingo for ya) and listen to my tale … Read more
October is celebrated as Pastors Appreciation month in many churches, and at Reunion Hawaii the church did an amazing job of showing love and appreciation to me, as lead pastor, and to the entire incredible team of pastors at Reunion. (Thank you, Michelle Kila, for taking the lead.) Now let me celebrate Pastor’s Appreciation: • … Read more
As a card carrying man, I tend to defend the male gender against undue criticism and emasculating attacks. Guys often get a raw deal. Manliness is not in vogue in some circles, and, starting in pre-school, every attempt is made to feminize little boys or medicate the maleness out of their behavior. It’s sad, really, … Read more
I am a child of the 60s. The last half of that decade was my high school years. It was a tumultuous time of social upheaval and change, and was both confusing and exciting for those of us who lived through it. Even back then, pre-internet, I was a bit of a news junkie who … Read more
Now and then someone will say to me — often with an undertone of disapproval or condescension — “I see you’re on FaceBook a lot. I just don’t have time for all that, myself.” The implication is, of course, that they are more focused, more serious, and more productive than I am and that I … Read more
I’m in heavy academic mode this week, reading, reading, reading… I stumbled across an article in my reading that deals with something all of us hear all the time: “Hey, I’m not perfect” (I have semi-quoted Darlene Ouimet’s article below, with a few edits. What do people mean when they declare in an exasperated … Read more
I know it is selfish, and not pretty, but it is true. When people leave a church pastors take it personally. It’s really hard not to. Regardless of the stated reasons people give for moving on — and they are remarkably creative — the pastor takes it personally. You’ve just told him his baby is … Read more