GraceNotes

Watch for Christ’s Coming All right, all right, I’ll admit it: I talk to my TV. Yes, I know the characters can’t hear me. Yes, I know it’s pointless. But sometimes I can’t help but gasp in disbelief or comment when a character misses something that’s so painfully obvious from my comfortable point of view…

We’ve all heard the expression, “oil and water don’t mix.”  Most of us have probably seen, at some point, oil floating on the surface of water, perhaps in an elementary school science experiment or on images of horrific oil spills on the earth’s oceans.  It is true that the density of oil and water are…

Hands down, the Christmas classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” is one of my top five favorite films. Featuring the iconic Jimmy Stewart, the movie portrays the main character George Bailey who runs Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. After his Uncle Billy loses an $8,000 deposit on Christmas Eve of 1945, George realizes criminal charges are…

There once was a mighty man. The mightiest man who ever lived, and he performed great deeds. While he was obedient to God, he was unstoppable. Once, he singlehandedly defeated an entire army. However, his strength and virtue did not satisfy him. His flesh hungered for and desired something else. His first step was to compromise his virtue. He pursued…

We love stories. I personally love books and the imagination and careful thought that goes into a well-crafted story.  Stories are told differently depending on who is telling the story. In first person, a story is told from the point of view of one character. We hear his or her thoughts only. In third person, a story…

Isaiah 30:21 “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” II Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought…

“For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”. (Hebrews 4:12) Imagine this: you are a seeker.  You go to church…

With less than 1 week until Election Day, I thought I’d share some thoughts on voting. Everyone should vote because not everyone in the world gets that privilege, and as a citizen it’s your responsibility. As a Christian, it is even more of a responsibility to vote. God created human government (Genesis 9), so it…

Beauty is good. Last weekend, I drove to Harper’s Ferry and reveled in the pockets of autumn color dotting the mountainside. My friend and I climbed the Maryland Heights trail to look down upon the town. As we rested, a hawk launched itself into the air and glided above the river. There was only one…

Football season is back, and as we enjoy the rivalry and effort of teams to reach the pinnacle of their sport, we also see similar competition among the managers of fantasy football teams, though perhaps with a bit less physical effort!  Most of the efforts of fantasy football managers to improve their chances of making the…

The kingdom of God is not what we would think—and that’s a good thing. Jumbo shrimp. Bittersweet. Exact estimate. Minor crisis. Humblebrag. Old news. Random order.  What do these words have in common? All are oxymorons, a literary term used to describe combined opposites. On the surface, we understand the ideas oxymorons communicate. However, each oxymoron…

Have you ever missed a deadline? I thought I did for this article.  As a recovering perfectionist, that thought gave me two invitations:  – one to embarrassment (“I did wrong”) and the other to shame (“I am wrong.”). Let’s explore two questions:   First, what do most people do when they have made a commitment and think they have blown it?  Second, how  does God’s…