A Day to Putter Today (Monday, July 19, 2021) I did what I love to do. I started out with a quiet time on the porch with a big french press of bold, black coffee ground from beans I picked up in Oregon early in July. It was a glorious day and after I finished […]
Bittersweet Farm Journal | July 14, 2021 | We Are Still A Family
Circuit-Riding We returned from Oregon, drove to west Michigan for a wedding, drove home, mowed the grass and tumbled into bed. Sunday morning I preached at Bethel, attended an event to recognize our leaders and then headed north. As I see it tomorrow is the exact middle of the summer. I like to say, “Life […]
Bittersweet Farm Journal | July 6, 2021 | When Little Things Keep You Awake
Lois and I flew to the beautiful north coast of Oregon for a vacation. We are sleeping late and napping and enjoying long conversations with people we love and we are telling stories and we are listening to our grandchildren tell stories. We are taking drives along the ocean. We are exploring shops and eating […]
Gravity and Gladness
It must have been about 1991. I was in my garret study in the upstairs of the old farmhouse in Ohio where we lived at the end of a dead-end road. The house is pictured here. My study looked out over a field beyond the house to a valley and a river. Early in the […]
Bittersweet Farm Journal | June 23, 2021 | Camp Patmos
I always tell young people God did not give us a spirit of adventure just to climb mountains, ride roller-coasters and bungee jump off bridges. He gave us a spirit of adventure to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Last week I spent the week preaching on an island! How cool is […]
Fasting and BBQ Potato Chips
Fasting. Does it Matter? Does God Care? A friend called. He is sailing dark waters right now. “I’ve been fasting. It is so hard. How do I know God even cares? How do I know it matters at all.” I told him that fasting is an interesting thing. New Testament Christians are never commanded to […]