One More For JC

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,   fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.   (Hebrews 12:1-2)   For over a decade, I’ve been proactively going to a dermatologist for an annual full body scan for skin cancer (the trials of being raised with an in-ground pool).  For years, the check-ups were uneventful, and I would merrily go on my way until the next year.  But a few years ago, things started to change as spots were identified of concern.  The first few identified were also uneventful – spots that the doctor removed on the spot, and they ultimately checked out fine.    Unfortunately, last year and this year, spots were identified that required a call back for a deeper excision (both of which thankfully worked out OK).  Th...

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.     (John 3:16) After 15 years, on December 1 st , my two co-founders and I sold Fantasy Postseason.  It was a bittersweet moment, as so much love, time and effort were poured into it over the years.  However, the time had certainly come to move on.   Unfortunately, the sale has made an already busy time of year that much crazier.  The days around the sale were extremely stressful and at times overwhelming – thankfully, each day I took out time to pray about it and on some nights, I’d get woken up around 2 or 3 am in the morning – with an important tip on things that had to be added to the ever-expanding to-do list (or how they should be handled).   Thankfully things have started to calm down as the weeks have gone by.  Today I even had a chance to smile as we received a follow-up email from a long-time ...

Praise the  Lord , my soul,   and forget not all his benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.  (Psalms 103:2-3)   For the past two years, Dee and I have been battling problems with our air conditioner.  It all started innocently enough in June 2021 with a “Possible Frozen Coil” error message on the first day of a 10-day brutal heatwave (which is completely unheard of in the frozen tundra).  I called our service plan company immediately and to my chagrin they said their first availability was in 10 days.  By the next morning, my panic over the timing and heatwave reached a boiling point (pun intended), so I decided to call another company.  To their credit, that company sent someone out immediately, but unfortunately the guy didn’t know what he was doing.  Instead of fixing the problem, he only made things worse, leaving behind a bit of a mangled mess.   Over the next couple yea...

Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;   so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.   After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.   (John 13:3-5)   Dee and I finally got around to watching the ‘Jesus Revolution’ movie last week.  It was quite an emotional two-hour ride, but for different reasons.     On one hand, it was powerful to see the decisions made by men like Chuck Smith and Greg Laurie.  Their decisions would impact men like Lloyd Pulley who would ultimately have a major impact on my life.  For some reason, he accepted a calling to fly all the way across the country from California and start up a new Calvary Chapel in New Jersey.  It would just so happen to be plant...

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. (Revelation 21:4)   “Look at the clock!” In my household, that was the universal signal that it was 9:17 PM.  September 17th was my parents’ anniversary and at some point, that became a beautiful tribute to a very special day in the lives of my Dad, Mom, sister, and I.   Unfortunately, after my Dad’s passing in 2006, I haven’t heard those words said again, but I always think about it whenever I happen to catch 9:17 on the clock.  In fact, when I was going back and forth on whether to write this verse app, I came upstairs for a cup of coffee and the clock on the stove just happened to be sitting on 9:17.  I couldn’t help but smile – it was one of those gentle leadings I get from the Lord from time to time, and so I went back downstairs and finally decided to put pen to paper.   Although 9:17 can bring...

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) On June 20, my mother-in-law, Nancy, passed away at the age of 76.  She left this earth as one of the greatest cooks and seamstresses this world has ever known.  Although her food was legendary, I’ll remember her most for the following three stories.   The first was from October 2005.  At the start of that year, Dee and I both felt a strong desire to reunite our parents for what we felt would be the last time.  We prayed and prayed, and ultimately put together an east coast trip for October.  At the tail end of that trip, the six of us were able to spend a couple days together at Hershey Hotel in Pennsylvania and then spent a day in New York City with a Broadway show and visiting some of the main tourist sites.  We made sure we returned to my parents’ home early enough so Nancy could make her incom...

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.     (Ephesians 2:8) My Dad wasn’t the biggest Christmas gift shopper, but one year he received a pair of slippers as a gift.     Although they were better suited for his feet, he was insistent that I take them back to Minnesota as his gift to me.     After I offered some resistance for a bit, “They’re your gift,” “They’re a little too big for me,” – I ultimately thanked him and agreed to take them back to the tundra.   Years later, I’m so glad I did.  Every time I look at those slippers, I get to think of my Dad and that gift time and time again.  Although they are still a little too big for me and now have edges fraying left and right, they will always be perfect in my eyes and will remain with me for the rest of my life.   For years, I never thought of them more than just slippers, but this year I got to thi...