The definition of determinism is that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes external to the will. Christian determinism and Calvinist schools of thought would say that the external cause is God. While I disagree with some of the tenets of this philosophy, I will have to admit that I have felt […]
Jesus famously taught that loving God and loving our neighbor was the foundation of following God. It sounds shockingly simplistic. As we begin to try to love God and others though, we quickly realize that things that are simple are not always easy. To begin with we must face the question: “what is love?”. After […]
Our pastor at church is currently working through a series on an ancient king of Israel named Josiah. Josiah was a good king. He repaired much of the damage that his corrupt fathers and grandfathers had done to the kingdom. The full account of all that Josiah did is located in the Old Testament book […]
This has been for me, the summer of Frederick Buechner. I attended the Frederick Buechner Writer’s Workshop at Princeton Theological Seminary at the beginning of summer. It reintroduced to me the power of words, and was much needed food for my soul. Since that time, I have immersed myself again in Buechner’s writings. […]
The heart of this blog is relationships, how to enjoy them, and how to repair them when they have broken down. For that reason, I write a good deal about communication. Communication is the life blood of relationships. Couples that communicate well tend to have strong marriages. Families that communicate well handle adversity better than […]
As a minister and counselor, I’ve sat across from countless couples who were seeking to restore, repair, or rebuild their families. When I asked what they felt the biggest problem in their relationship was, the overwhelming majority answered, “communication”. Everyone knows that communication is an essential component of healthy relationships, but did you know that […]