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A few months ago I awoke to a typically rainy and gray Pacific Northwest November morning. The flapping butterflies in my stomach took up so much room that I could not fit in any breakfast. I had not felt so nervous about standing in front of a congregation since 2001 when I preached my first…

A few months ago I awoke to a typically rainy and gray Pacific Northwest November morning. The flapping butterflies in my stomach took up so much room that I could not fit in any breakfast. I had not felt so nervous about standing in front of a congregation since 2001 when I preached my first…

Shortly after I completed my bachelor's degree and got married, I began work toward a master's degree. Several promotions, two children, and more than a decade later, I finally reached that long-awaited target. Then I realized I needed a doctorate to accomplish my goal of teaching in a university…

Do you remember your first job? Whether it was helping in the yard at home or assisting a neighbor with a project, I have always held some kind of job. My first job with a consistent paycheck was in high school. Working in a more structured setting with a variety of people meant that I had to…

Some experiences, feelings, longings, and heartaches seem beyond words. Common phrases hurt more than help. Spouses whose partners die are widows or widowers. Children whose parents die are orphans. But how do we name those whose children, siblings, or closest friends have died? This is a "grief…

On my journey of 44 years as a pastor and district superintendent, I have observed many amazing stories of God's grace. I estimate that I have had in my care more than 20,000 of God's people from Washington to Illinois to Oklahoma. In my mind I have been making a 'top 10 list of lay people,' and…

I once visited a church that had advertised a special event on a Sunday afternoon. I knew that church well, yet I really went as a guest for the special event. This event was supposed to wrap up all the church had done and learned during a six-week emphasis on winning new people to the Lord and for…

It began with Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) students sitting in guest homes on a tour with their music group right after Christmas. After giving a concert that day, members of Pointless, an all-male accapella group, watched television news accounts of the tsunami that destroyed coastal…

When I recently visited my grandmother’s old house in East Texas, I realized it had changed. The porch that my brother and I used to leap off of, seemingly risking life and limb, I could now easily manage with one step, not even needing the stairs that led to the front door. Her pasture, the “…

It began with Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) students sitting in guest homes on a tour with their music group right after Christmas. After giving a concert that day, members of Pointless, an all-male accapella group, watched television news accounts of the tsunami that destroyed coastal…