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The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything

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 I love the old "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series of books.  The satire on humanity is hilarious.  At one point in the tale, a community builds a super computer, smarter and faster than any seen before, so that it can calculate and define the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.  For decades it works until it spits out the answer: "42". No one has any idea what it means.   That feels a bit like my journey.  All of my life I have battled to find that one missing piece, a truth or practice or idea that will glue all of my struggle together and make sense of how to walk with God and know His peace.  Have I found that?  Sure. Maybe? What I'm finding is that it's not just a matter of knowing who God is - revealed perfectly in the man, Jesus Christ - but TRUSTING in who God says He is.  That's a little harder than just calculating the right answer.  The Narrow Road I've recently been captivated by these words of Jesus in...
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Deserving Mercy? Ha! (1 Tim. 1:12-17)

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(1 Tim. 1:12-17) 12  I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,   13  even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; Throughout my life, especially the last ten years, when I read this statement from Paul, I feel guilt.  I don't know about you, but when I read Paul saying, "I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief," my insides react with: "But I have sinned so much in full knowledge of the fact I'm sinning! I cannot deserve mercy!" I hope you caught the irony and silliness of that inner conflict.  If not, let me give two reasons why my assumption that Paul  deserves mercy  - and I don't - is asinine.   First, the definition of biblical mercy makes "deserving" impossible.  To use the old AWANA definition of mercy: "God not gi...
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For Noah's Wedding

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 My son, Noah (25) is getting married this Saturday (07/01/2023).  I am co-officiating the wedding with Makenn's Grandpa, Roger and here are some thoughts that I plan to share.  Introduction I have been excited for this day.  The Bible says "An excellent wife, who can find? She is more precious than jewels." Socrates, the famous Greek philosopher said, "By all means, if you get a good wife, you'll be happy.  If you get a bad wife, you'll become a philosopher." Makenna, Noah has found a good wife. We have grown to really enjoy you and we're excited for you to be a part of our family.  You'll fit right in.  That may not be what you want to hear.  Noah, I'm really proud of you and the man you've become. You work hard. You're dependable.  You're consistent.  You love well. And you're a lot of fun.  To quote another famous philosopher duo, "What a man, what a man, what a man, what a mighty good man."  God's Plan As I ...
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The Merciful and Approachable God

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Misguided, Human Fatherhood As a young Dad I often thought it was my duty to catch my kids in any wrongdoing and make sure they didn't get away with it.  More training should be required for young people having kids.  Over the years, God impressed upon me that what my kids really needed was to know that I love them and will always be there for them.  This has always been their need.  This will always be their need, no matter their age.  God's Mysterious Way I've been reading through Dane Ortland's "Gentle and Lowly" with a group of men. Ortland emphasizes the sympathetic gentleness of Jesus' heart in His invitation: "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest." (Mt. 11:28)  Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15) and is able to deal gently with the ignorant and wayward. (Heb. 5:2) Therefore, we are drawn to come to Him regularly with our struggles and find grace and mercy to help in times of weak...
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