Each December we usually hear the nativity account from Luke 2 read in church. It can become so familiar that we often don’t pay attention. This year, however, I suddenly realized something I had not thought about before. The first five verses explain that Caesar Augustus took a census, requiring Joseph and Mary (his betrothed) …
It’s the time of year for parties, food, and gifts galore! None of this relates to the original nativity… or does it? While we may go overboard, might we actually have the basics down for celebrating Christ’s birth? In the Old Testament, God established feasts, basically commanding the Jews to hold seven annual parties—many of …
Recently we stopped by Sam’s Club to replenish a few things we’d run out of. Always one with an eye for a good deal, JB spotted a sale on some lights we might use in landscaping our yard next spring. A woman on that same aisle noticed, and kindly warned, “Don’t buy them!” She went …
J.B. and I (and two of our kids—all in different departments) work at a company that distributes software to IT providers. We provide solutions to help small businesses track their inventory, backup their data, and work more efficiently. But a threat to them all, regardless of their industry or business model, is cyber attacks. We …
In middle school, I sometimes quoted a phrase I thought quite clever. “I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant!” How often do others misunderstand us? Whether due to our unclear choice of words or the hearer’s …
Hoping for a turnaround to their dismal season start, I recently watched a Broncos football game. God sometimes shows me truth in unexpected places. In one particular play, I saw grace illustrated in football. When the quarterback throws the ball and his intended receiver catches it, that is not grace. That’s more like works. These …
Having four Boy Scouts in our family, we were well-acquainted with their motto: “Be prepared.” This slogan‘s wisdom hit home multiple times as we recently visited Leadville, Colorado, whose population once soared to over 50,000, but now boasts a mere 2,633. Leadville experienced an incredible but short-lived boom during the silver rush of the late …
The other night I attended a college production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Having known nothing about the musical beforehand, I was surprised and delighted by each new scene and song. It also got me thinking about Joseph himself–and how we, as believers, can relate to him. Ultimately, Joseph is an Old Testament …
We have had the opportunity to travel more this year—partly due to work—than in recent years. And one thing I tend to notice is what people wear, especially when it differs from what I typically see in Denver. First, I notice the travel apparel. When I was a kid in the 1960s, people dressed up …
Sometimes when JB’s sister goes on a trip, we bird sit for her. She has owned canaries for the past few years, lovely yellow songbirds that entertain and intrigue me. Having known nothing about birds before, I’ve learned some lessons from them. Historically, Spanish sailors brought canaries from the Canary Islands to Europe, and they …
