“the gift of artistic ability, … places those so gifted in a unique position to protect, and encourage and empower the people of God.” The First Shepherd Why do we refer to Peter as the first “Pope? When Jesus was arrested and taken before the Jewish leaders, Peter followed behindContinue Reading
“What we do not understand, we fear. What we fear, we grow to hate. What we hate, we try to destroy.” The Beginning John Paul II began his papacy with the words “do not be afraid.” Throughout his time pope he continued to return to this theme. “Do not abandonContinue Reading
“His goal is to make us into the person He created us to be.” A Question of Trust It has been said that mankind has only ever had one problem; we want to be like God. Which is another way of saying we have trust issues. We do not trustContinue Reading
“A Christian always looks at the present and the future, not the past. We do not forget the past but use it as a guide for our future.” The Past Fools Us In the 2012 remake of the movie “Total Recall,” Douglas Quaid is fighting to recall who he trulyContinue Reading
“Embrace your authenticity. Be the person God meant for you to be with all your quirkiness and eccentricities.” Beauty vs Authenticity In his book “Blink,” Malcom Gladwell recounts the story of the “Getty Kouros.” In 1984 the J.Paul Getty museum unveiled its latest acquisition, a two thousand year old marbleContinue Reading
“The Lord invites us to use our gifts and talents worthily and He will sustain our efforts by His grace.” Napoleon’s Mercy Napoleon Bonaparte is often portrayed as a violent man, a dictator alongside the likes of Hitler and Mussolini. But those who knew him, knew him to be aContinue Reading
“When we are tempted, the best course of action is often to stand up to it, recognize it for what it is, and stare it down.” Temptation How do we face temptation in our lives? From the Denver Post: “Like many sheep ranchers in the West, Lexy Fowler has triedContinue Reading
“our lives are a constant struggle, a battle between our old fallen nature and our new redeemed Christian nature.” In the 1999 film “The Matrix,” the heroes of the film, those who fight against deception and oppression are betrayed by their own Judas, a character named Cypher. Cypher makes aContinue Reading
“Do we live for God or do we live for ourselves? What are our priorities?” It is a matter of priorities. Actor Neal McDonough recently recalled a time when he was fired from the ABC television series “Scoundrels” for refusing to do love scenes with his series co-star. “I wasContinue Reading
“few of us feel worthy of this calling. Isaiah, Peter, and Paul all expressed their feelings of unworthiness when God called them to fulfill their mission.” Adventure Perhaps you remember this. “I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.” “An adventure? No, I don’t imagine anyone west of BreeContinue Reading