Michael Ramsey
What I’m Reading (2017)
Prayer by Tim Keller
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Keller’s book is the most complete book on prayer I’ve ever read. As you read, you quickly realize that Keller is a great deal smarter than you’ll ever be. His humility and skill in communicating, however, make his books readable and accessible. Prayer discusses the theology of prayer, it’s history and importance, and also includes […]
Effective Communication
How Simplifying Your Communication Will Strengthen Your Relationships
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It’s amazing what you can learn if you are willing to see all that goes on around you. Recently, while having a coffee in a small bakery, I noticed a mother and daughter climb out of their car and ready themselves to come in. It was a bit of a process because the daughter was […]
What I’m Reading (2017)
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
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The Vance family story is equal parts tragedy and inspiration. Vance paints a clear picture of the struggles of many impoverished rural Americans. Having grown up in a small town in western N.C., there were many parts of the book that rang painfully true. It’s difficult to accurately describe the people we love. Most of […]
How To Know Your Enemies And What To Do About It
(You might not like this)
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Hatred is hip. Or at least it seems to be. There was a time when hatred and vitriol was limited to the major news networks. You knew what to expect when you tuned into CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc… There would be well dressed, well spoken adults talking at length about who exactly was causing […]
Happy Mother’s Day!
A Poem and a Prayer
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I am grateful to have had a wonderful mom, and even though she is no longer with us, her memory and impact is fresh and real every day. My mom was the most courageous person I have ever known. So, for those of you who enter this Mother’s Day without your mother, I encourage you […]
6 Things I’ve Learned About Grief (Number 6) (The Final One)
They Were Worth It
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Last Christmas, our daughter gave Mindi and I a free night of babysitting that we used to catch a concert at one of our favorite venues. I wasn’t expecting a new insight into grief as Johnnyswim walked out onto the stage that night, but that’s what I got. The husband-wife duo talked about how they had […]
6 Things I’ve Learned About Grief (Number 5)
You Don't Have To Try So Hard
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In the years after my brother died, I began to interact with a lot of people who were facing loss. As a counselor I sat across from more and more people in the gray days after someone’s death as they tried to pull the pieces of their life back together. I noticed something in them […]
6 Things I’ve Learned About Grief (Number 4)
You Can't Control It
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I remember one afternoon a couple of months after my brother had died. Things were really busy at the time. I was serving as Interim Pastor at an amazing church in addition to my counseling job. After work, Makena and I flew to dance practice or looked over homework. I got to bed late every night […]
It is easier (and less painful) for us to rely on God’s forgiveness of our sins than it is to believe that God might support us to quit them.
Barbara Brown Taylor
Speaking of Sin: The Lost Language of Salvation (Lanham, MD: Cowley Publications, 2000), 4
Speaking of Sin: The Lost Language of Salvation (Lanham, MD: Cowley Publications, 2000), 4