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Bible Insights

How Do You Read the Bible?

Some people read the Bible like a textbook—to amass knowledge. Other people read the Bible like a book of law—looking for precedent and loopholes to justify themselves, ideas, and behavior. Still, others read the Bible like a “how to” book—noting the things that they should do and the things that they shouldn’t. However, all of […]

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Reviews of Books & Movies

Book Review: A Generous Orthodoxy

Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian. By Brian McLaren (reviewed by Peter DeHaan) In A Generous Orthodoxy, author Brian McLaren seeks to move the modern world’s theological dialog beyond the paralyzing impasse of liberal versus conservative, into a […]

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Bible Insights

God as our Friend

In the next word picture for God, we can consider God as our friend. As our relationship with God grows and progresses, there is an opportunity for us to become friends, perhaps analogous to a parent and their adult child. As friends, we (that is, God and us) spend time together, communicate with each other, […]

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Bible Insights

Jesus and the Fig Tree

The One About the Fig Tree Have you ever heard the story about Jesus and the fig tree? Jesus is heading into Jerusalem and is hungry. Seeing a fig tree, he searches its foliage for something to eat. Finding nothing, he seems to get a tad irritated, declaring that it will never again produce fruit. […]

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Personal Posts

Maple Syrup Au Naturel

In the northern clime of Michigan, the ideal time to trim deciduous trees (that is, non-evergreens) is in their dormant state. That means winter.  Unfortunately, this winter was colder than most and the snow was deeper.  So whenever I considered trimming a few branches, it was either frigidly cold or there was more than a foot […]

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Personal Posts

The Last Yard Work for the Season

For the past week, we have enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather, with temperatures in the high sixties to mid seventies. Last Saturday I mowed my lawn for the last time this season. If you’re thinking that this is rather late for Michigan, you’re right.  The grass really hasn’t grown much in the past few weeks, but […]

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Personal Posts

I Married a Monk

I really like the TV show Monk. The season premier was last Friday. Since we were a tad busy with Laura and Chris’s wedding, we’ve not yet had the opportunity to watch it, but I’m most anxious to do so. The show features Adrian Monk, a former homicide detective, who has some issues: he struggles with a […]

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Personal Posts

Why I Have to Rake Leaves in the Spring

For the past several years, at about this time, leaves fall from my trees in alarming quantities. Yes, leaves falling in the spring—enough that they should be raked. In our yard are ten Maple trees, which are the culprits (victims) of this phenomenon. Apparently, an insect lays eggs in the stems of Maple leaves in the […]

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Personal Posts

It Melted!

I mentioned that, from my perspective, the ideal winter was for it to snow on Christmas Eve and melt the day after New Year’s Day. In an uncharacteristically Michigan-winter manner, I got my wish! (At least so far.) After about 12 inches of snow over New Year’s weekend, the temperatures began to rise, eventually shooting up to […]

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Personal Posts

Let It Snow!

Over the holidays, friends from southern California made a surprise visit. Although my buddy grew up in Michigan, complete with it’s snowy winters, his bride and their three sons are California-raised.  As such, snow is a greatly hoped for occurrence during any Christmas-time visit. This year did not disappoint. With only mild embarrassment they admitted to becoming […]