Thought Experiment: Lamar and Peyton
Over the last few years, I have drifted away from Twitter and for the most part I think it has been the right decision. But I’ll drift back occasionally, and when I do it generally reminds me of why I left. However, there is a rare occasion when I will read a Tweet and it…
Day 129
“”If you can’t?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”” – Mark 9:23 NIV On a recent Tuesday, in advance of our weekly Wednesday get together with a faithful group of men, I received the following email from our pastor, which I have edited a bit for pithiness: “Hi Guys, Looking forward to…
Day 78
““Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get.” – Matthew 7:12 MSG Late in the year in 1995 the Smashing Pumpkins released arguably one…
In Closing
To paraphrase my previous rector, “the deeper the Lent the greater the Resurrection.” I have endeavored to go deeper into my writing (and hopefully thereby deeper into myself) these last 47 days and I can truly say the result is a greater sense of hope and uplifting about my joy for this work and my…
Day 47
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” – Romans 12:3 NIV Humility. The act of lowering ourselves and at…
Day 46
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” – Romans 12:12 NIV My brother is a very good cook, and one of my favorite things that he makes is his chocolate chip cookies. He tinkers with the recipe a lot, but the core ingredients are always there: butter, eggs, flour, chocolate. Every once…
Day 45
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” – Luke 16:10 I remember writing a particular paper when I was in college. One of the reasons that I have such a clear memory of the experience is…
Day 44
“Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” – Proverbs 10:19 This isn’t a new thought, but many of us have become terrible in this day and age at saying “I’m sorry”. The world is full of apologies littered with “IF I offended anyone” or “I’m sorry, but…”. I’m as…
Day 43
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” – Esther 4:14 NIV “All preordained, a prisoner in chains,…
Day 42
“Not one of all the Lord ’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” – Joshua 21:45 There have been few teams in the history of major college and pro sports that have been able to have a perfect record through one season. In 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17-0 and won the Superbowl.…
Day 41
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” – Matthew 18:20 NIV I remember in high school our English teacher made us memorize passages from Shakespeare and then recite them as part of occasional oral exams, sometimes even in front of the entire class. Julius Caesar, Hamlet, MacBeth…all the…
Day 40
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” – Romans 8:31 In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he asks his readers what seems to be a rhetorical question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” One would think that the…
Day 39
“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 NIV The last few weeks have been full of transformation. As Spring has come to DC, I’ve watched the grounds around our house transform; the barren, brown plants…
Day 38
“Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.” – Matthew 13:12 NIV There is a lot of talk in today’s world about the “haves” and the “have nots”, and this passage seems to strike right at the heart…
Day 37
“I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”” – Psalms 91:2 NIV We all know the saying, “Good things come in small packages.” It might have actually been one of the first sayings I ever remember hearing as a child. That and “Because I…
Day 36
“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” – James 1:15 NIV We’ve made it thirty-six days so far, and I gotta admit I’ve had a pretty fun time! I hope you have, too. I think back to all of the different thoughts…
Day 35
“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” – Exodus 3:5 There is a Marvel animated series that was released in the last few years called What If…? that imagines scenarios that might have happened had certain famous Marvel events taken place…
Day 34
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”Romans 5:6 NIV A few years ago, I sat at the computer in my office and realized I was a little bored. It was a slow day at work. I looked over to the other side of my desk…
Day 33
“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches…
Day 32
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6 NIV Every night I kneel by my bedside and pray to God. With each prayer I make I have expectations, some more lofty than others. Those expectations aren’t always met, but…
Day 31
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32 Back in February I was asked to present a section of our annual corporate meeting presentation to the rest of our company. I was nervous, because while the whole thing was on Zoom, there would still be over 50…
Day 30
“And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.” – Hebrews 11:12 Alcoholics Anonymous uses a term called “pulling a geographic,” which refers to the thinking that changing one’s location can help to…
Day 29
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” – Psalms 51:12 This past Friday night I sat in the passenger seat of our car on the way to Virginia Beach. My wife was driving, and the radio was tuned to SiriusXM. Knowing her, it was likely…
Day 28
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” – Genesis 22:12 The scene before this passage is one of the more famous, sensational, and frankly disturbing passages in…
Day 27
“Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people…
Day 26
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 NIV I used to be really good at giving advice. Whenever someone came to me with a problem the first thing I would say is some version of, “You should try this…” or “Have you thought about this…?” It was a…
Day 25
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16 NIV As I’ve written here before, I’ve recently begun the training necessary to answer calls on the national suicide hotline. So much of the training is about focusing on the skills necessary to provide support…
Day 24
“I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” – Jeremiah 31:25 NIV While writing is becoming my passion the more I do it, my day job is real estate development. Because of the often-high-profile nature of the work that we do (building apartment buildings, refreshing shopping centers, buying office buildings) we run into all…
Day 23
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalms 139:23-24 NIV The Bible is full of miracles. Jesus himself performs seven very famous ones. I’m sure you’ve heard of them: water into…
Day 22
“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:13 I found this a difficult post to write, mostly because I knew what I wanted to say, but I also knew that it would be pretty clear that I fall short of my expectations for myself. Maybe it’s another example of…
Day 21
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” – 1 Timothy 4:12 There’s a scene in Billy Madison where the class is taking a field trip to the zoo. Towards the end of the…
Day 20
“Even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” – Psalms 139:10 Even though I went to church a lot in my youth, it was later in life that I learned one of the more interesting things about the Bible. I can’t remember which pastor it was that taught me…
Day 19
“But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,” – Jude 1:20 NIV As the calendar turned from 2022 to 2023, a familiar pain started to creep back into my right shoulder. Having been treated for this same pain once before, I sprang into action,…
Day 18
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” – Ephesians 4:29 NIV As was the case at the beginning of this journey, I had to return to the proverbial depths of humanity…
Day 17
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 Like most of the people that have walked this Earth through history, for me the word of God…
Day 16
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:3-5 NIV I…
Day 15
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” – Proverbs 28:1 NIV Imagine you are running through a forest at night, weaving between the trees and crashing through bushes and brush on your way to nowhere in particular. Your carom off tree trunks as you try to…
Day 14
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” – 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV As I mentioned in my intro to these posts back on Shrove Tuesday, one of the things that surprised me so much about all of the Tweets that Justin Forsett was sharing…
Day 13
“Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” – Proverbs 29:25 NIV As a first-born child I would say I am pretty typical. Google “first-born personality” and you will see words like: “reliable”, “conscientious”, “structured”, “cautious”, and “controlling”. “Conscientious” is one of my favorites, because…
Day 12
“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” – 1 Corinthians 15:58 NIV This is going to be as personal an exploration of my work life as I…
Day 11
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” – Psalms 34:17 NIV “Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.” – Psalms 34:17 MSG I have to admit there are times when I read scripture and I’m not quite feeling it. Sometimes it’s…
Day 10
“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.” – Psalms 40:1 NIV Like so many people I am sure, I have felt despair in my life. Desperation can take many forms. Loneliness, hopelessness, sadness, shame. Desperation can also cause us to react in many different ways. Lashing out, giving…
Day 9
“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” – Matthew 19:26 NIV So much of my previous Lenten journeys have been spent focusing on worldly things. Traditionally it has been about giving something up. No sweets this year. No Facebook. No alcohol. Other times it…
Day 8
“With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies.” – Psalms 108:13 NIV Tune into almost any TV show or movie these days and you are bound to see someone, or a team of people, winning victories by “trampling” their enemies. With few exceptions, the top grossing movies of all…
Day 7
“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,” – Hebrews 10:24 NIV I happened to read this passage on Justin Forsett’s Twitter account while lying in bed one morning listening to NPR. On the radio was a story about Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveling to Israel…
Day 6
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” – Ephesians 6:11 NIV The image that this passage evokes to me is pretty impressive. When I read it, I immediately think of a medieval knight, standing before his squire and horse, dressed head to tow in…
Day 5
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:19 NIV When I was a kid, I loved baseball. And while I ate, slept and lived for Cal Ripken and the Baltimore Orioles, my favorite player was (and still is) Ken Griffey, Jr. He had…
Day 4
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV I recently read an article…
Day 3
Day 3 “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 These words have started many a sermon or prayer that I have heard in my life. They are like an ice breaker, a way of loosening up…
Day 2
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” – James 1:17 NIV I find so much comfort in this passage. Who wouldn’t dream of receiving “good and perfect gifts?” Who hasn’t marveled at light streaming down from above through…
Day 1
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16 NIV Not being Catholic, and therefore never having set foot in an actual confessional, the only picture that I have of it in my…
Lenten Inspiration
Life is full of interesting twists and turns. A couple of years ago I made the decision to turn off all my social media accounts. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter; all cancelled. It was a choice that came with some consternation and more than a little bit of questioning from some friends and family. But, as I…
My Wedding Ring
This is one of those memories that seems like a lifetime ago and at the same time like it was just yesterday. In November of 2007, the Writers Guild of America went on strike in an effort to readjust how Hollywood writers were compensated as our country’s media landscape began to shift away from broadcast…
Our Days are Numbered
I sat down at the end of my son’s bed last night to wish him goodnight. As I leaned down to kiss his forehead he ducked down underneath the covers and began rummaging around in the middle of his bed. At first, I thought he was playing a game but quickly came to understand that…
Intro to Musings
To begin, I want to thank all of you who has been so supportive of me along this journey. I’ve loved re-immersing myself in my writing and it has already opened so many new avenues of interest and passion for me that I am so excited to explore. Here’s a little inside baseball about how…
What Lies Before 