Crazy Stories

The other day I got an email from my friend Peter.

Reading your blog has rekindled an obsession with a childhood memory, one that I have only told two other people in my life about: my sister and my mother.
Posted in Reflections | Leave a comment

Do I Have Your Attention Yet?

Oh, the contradictions.

I sat on the edge of my twin bed in the basement of my parents’ house, frustrated as hell. I was 31 years old, gainfully employed as a software engineer making something like $65,000 a year. But for the second time in my life, I was saddled with crushing debt.

Continue reading →

Posted in AutoBlography | Leave a comment

Tollers’ Wisdom

Once upon a time
Artur Rubenstein sat before a Steinway
or a debauched Bechstein
and contemplated a nocturne.
Chopin’s soul spoke to him
Continue reading →

Posted in Other, Poetry | Leave a comment

What Was to Become of Me

I am truly befuddled to discover that, amongst the literally millions of words which I have published in one place or another over the last two decades, I have yet to write anything about Martin Scorsese’s The Last Temptation of Christ–the work of art that has without a doubt been the most influential on my life.

Continue reading →

Posted in AutoBlography | 1 Comment

Yes, I May Be Completely Crazy

For the last 23 years I’ve been carrying a story in my head that I’ve only verbally related to a handful of people. To be clear: it’s not a story that others particularly need to hear, because there’s not a great deal (besides the biographical) to be learned from it; but I’m at the point where I’m worried that if I don’t get the story written down I’ll start to lose some very important pieces of it to the sands of time. And I’m loath for that to happen, because it’s a story that has provided Jenn and I with much-needed spiritual sustenance over the decades.

The first person I ever told this story to, in fact, was Jenn, long before she was my wife. And that’s because God told me to tell her.

Continue reading →

Posted in About Jenn, AutoBlography | 3 Comments

I Am Here to Kill You

That’s a pretty provocative title, isn’t it?

Too bad I can’t take credit for it. John Prince used it for the title of his knockout sermon on Daniel 2:12-23 on September 12.

Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Notes | 1 Comment

Of Dreams and the Interpretation Thereof

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. –Sigmund Freud

I guess Freud would have had a thing or two to say to Nebuchadnezzar’s advisers.

During John Prince’s message from Daniel 2:1-11 on Sunday, I was struck by the means God used to goad John into returning to school to pursue a ministry degree. I, too, found my way to Bible College by way of dreams.

Continue reading →

Posted in AutoBlography, Sermon Notes | Leave a comment

What’s the Point of Trials and Suffering?

On February 26 at Harambee, Caleb’s message was from Daniel 1:17-21. The sermon was entitled, “Unusual Ability.” The basic outline, according to my notes, was: 1.) It’s not the ability, it’s the gift; 2.) It’s not the gift, it’s the use; 3.) It’s not the use, it’s the purpose.

Aside from being simply an outstanding contemporary application of this Old Testament passage, Caleb’s words spurred a thought which filled in a major theological hole in my understanding of the OT.

Continue reading →

Posted in Sermon Notes | 1 Comment

In Search of The Lost Spaniard

In one respect, this tale begins around 1986 with a birthday gift.

Generally speaking, I am not a big fan of my birthday, and there are not many birthday gifts that I remember. But during one of his visits to Seattle after starting his stint in the Air Force, J-W Smith bought me the most remarkable gift for my birthday.

It was a book.

And it was used.

Continue reading →

Posted in AutoBlography, Nature Narratives | Leave a comment

Hike-ku

sleeping on the ground
is more relaxing—and safe—
when the ground sleeps, too

Posted in Other, Poetry | Leave a comment