The question of the title comes from James 4. James writes that our life is a little vapor that appears for a time. If you were to describe your life in one word, what would that word be?
Category Archives: Christian living
Perception and Perspective
It is not what happens to us that shapes our perceptions. It is how we understand what happens to us–how we experience and interpret and process what happens to us. The same thing happens to two different people with two different results. “The fire that melts the butter hardens the steel.” Many of us go …
Perception is reality? Which reality?
You have likely heard the phrase, “Perception is reality.” Some interpret the phrase to suggest that every perception is true–that every perception is reality, or at least contains some element of reality. While it may be true that what people perceive is a reflection of some reality, which reality is reflected? A quote from Anais …
Wednesday Morning: Catacamas
Wednesday morning in Catacamas has dawned brisk and cool after a night of rain. My recollections of Catacamas are correct as roosters crowed for much of the night. Except for the occasional unmuffled passing vehicle or a few noisy pedestrians, it is tranquil and quiet as the city awakens…until the construction project across the street …
Reaping What We Sow
This morning at Baxter, I had the opportunity to visit at breakfast with brother Jorge Quijano, a Baxter graduate from the early days in Honduras, now working in Belize and Mexico. Our conversation turned to the nature of the Christian life and the many blessings that are part of our lives as Christians. Jorge said, …
When the Invisible God Is Visible
On this Saturday morning at Baxter Institute in Honduras, the invisible God is visible. Colossians 1 describes Jesus as evidence of the invisible God. Today, God is visible in other ways. God is visible in the freshness of the morning after a night of rain. God is visible in the joyous laughter and fellowship of …
Doors Opening, Opportunities Abounding
God works through us in mysterious ways. We plan to do one thing, and God opens more and more doors. We set up a Bible study and an entire family is present when we arrive. We set up a Bible study with one person and there are 13 present for the study. We go to …
Onesiphorus: He often refreshed me and was not ashamed of me
Paul’s description of Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1:16-19) has been the subject of many articles, even of entire sermons. Paul describes Onesiphorus as one who had refreshed Paul’s spirit, was not ashamed of Paul’s chains, went out of his way to find Paul in Rome, and had also helped Paul in Ephesus. As I reread Paul’s …
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Different Values
The comment surprised me: “You guys live with a different set of values.” I was a weekend visitor in the congregation, invited to present a leadership and planning workshop on Saturday and to teach and preach on Sunday. Some of the elders invited me to share Sunday lunch. Also present was Roberto Miranda, a coworker …
Christian: Like Christ?
A recent email from MinEmergent included a quote from Diana Butler Bass (A People’s History of Christianity). “Whereas militant Christianity triumphs over all, generative Christianity transforms the world through humble service to all. It is not about victory; it is about following Christ in order to seed the human community with grace.” The brief quote, …