Why Do We Expect World Peace From Miss America, But Not Jesus?
World Peace is one of just two easy answers in life. It’s the correct response when a pageant contestant is asked what she would most want to see happen during her lifetime. This response is the mocked canned answer made famous in the movie Miss Congeniality. The...
The Freedom Gained Through Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a tricky word. That’s partly because most of us are always tempted to spell it with an unnecessary “e” between “for” and “giveness.” But it’s mostly because of the deep-rooted emotion attached to the concept of forgiveness. In fact, I suspect the...
Understanding and Responding to the Stirring Ache of a Restless Spirit
Several times in life, I’ve diagnosed myself as having a restless spirit. I’ve often thought it indicative of a compulsion to do something creative. Other times, I’ve felt it as an awareness that mighty life changes are afoot. Sometimes, I’ve found...
Our Messed Up World and That Time Jesus Came to an Anxious, Waiting World
Lost in the demands to “keep Christ in Christmas” and the requests to “remember the reason for the season” is a broader purpose: hope for a messed up world. You see, the Old Testament ends with a prophesy through Malachi. He was one of several prophets who tried...
Not Giving Up… Even When the Universe Hates You
My unofficial hiatus might be construed as me giving up. And truth be told, I considered it. Not so much as “giving up” but more like “moving on” to a new season. Back in 2019, as I was finishing my study of Edward’s resolutions, I was...
Why I Dislike Coaches, and Why I’ve Become One
Group and individual role labels – like leader, manager, coach, mentor, go-getter, team, type-A, etc. are frequent observations and studies for me. In my 20+ year career, and in college before that, this stood out to me as both peculiar and aspirational. Then, I...
Why Treating God’s Living Word as a Textbook is Foolish
Referring to Scripture merely as God’s word falls short (stay with me before deciding I am a heretic). I’m asserting this according to our cultural mode of thinking. You see, we have become a culture that’s addicted to experiences over knowledge. It’s hard to...
What is Biblical Virtue and the Essential Need for Integrity of Heart?
The concept of virtue is a bit of an oddity. On the one hand, one might “stand for virtue.” But on the other hand, we ponder what actually constitutes virtue. In other words, there is both a definition of it and a classification of virtues in the plural. A common...
Building Christian Character on Faith and Discipline
With a mindset of building Christian character, I sought to deeply study Jonathan Edwards’ 70 resolutions in 2017. When I set that course, I categorized them according to the fruits of the spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). I admittedly did that before truly grasping...
Improve Yourself by Stealing Like an Artist
Improve yourself. That mandate was calling me out sometime after registering 1Glories.com on a divinely inspired whim. I realized with remorse that I had allowed myself to indulge and delight in the pursuit of temporal pleasures of the world. Those things that I came...