“Ministry of Presence”.  As Billy Graham Rapid Response Chaplains we are taught that this is our role.  Simply to show up, be present.  I struggled with this role at times.  As a goal-oriented, “doer”, I wrestled with the instruction to show up and just be there.  Sometimes I would be overwhelmed with wondering what I […]

“But God remembered Noah…” Genesis 8:1 We have all heard the story, seen the movies and childlike illustrations…Noah and the Ark.  We marvel at how Noah built that big boat and God told him to bring “seven of every kind of clean animal…and two of every kind of unclean animal…and seven of every kind of […]

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:44-46 This […]

It is often in adversity our true colors show.  It’s like that old illustration of the glass of water.  When the glass is full and it is shaken, what pours out?  If we are full of the Holy Spirit and shaken you will often see blessing, peace, good works under adversity pour out.  But if […]

Blog #1: Processing days following As I sat there in a room of hundreds of students and parents, listening to a victim of the Columbine shooting that happened almost 20 years ago, a sadness and fear overcame me. It really happened, Columbine which seemed like an unrealistic movie had happened in our community just last […]

I knew I really needed to do this.  But it’s hard. Any change? Not all change is hard. Just when it involves money and memories. It has been 10 years since his death and now I find myself noticing what I still own 10 years later. In my mind it goes something like this: “I […]

When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. 11 And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple. 1 Kings 8:10-11 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the […]

The doctrine of Sovereignty shows predominately in 1 Kings 3:5-15.  This is where the Lord appears to Solomon in a dream and asks him to ask for whatever he wants of God.  Solomon asks for a “discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong”. God is pleased with his request so God […]

There once was a merchant that owned the most beautiful jewelry store.  It wasn’t just any jewelry store however.  It was located amongst a promenade of stores on a riverfront. There were clothing boutiques, restaurants, candy shops and even other jewelry stores along this riverfront but nothing was more special than her jewelry store.  This […]

(weekly I write a five minute “doctrine talk” based on the doctrine in the passage of scripture we are studying in “People of the Promised Land 1 – Bible Study Fellowship”) 2 Samuel 22: 1-20 David sang this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul. 2 He sang: “The Lord is my […]

(weekly I write a five minute “doctrine talk” based on the doctrine in the passage of scripture we are studying in “People of the Promised Land 1 – Bible Study Fellowship”) 2 Samuel 13:10-22  Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took […]

(weekly I write a five minute “doctrine talk” based on the doctrine in the passage of scripture we are studying in “People of the Promised Land 1 – Bible Study Fellowship”) The Lord chose David to be king and made David victorious. Evidence of his work for the Lord is found in 2 Samuel 8 […]