About Me

"What I Learned About God And Me"

If I were to name my blog today that would be the name. I have no desire to preach or teach--just share what God seems to been teaching me. (Is what I've written the Truth? I believe so, but God only knows for sure.)

You can tell a lot about someone by what they read. Here is what I've been reading.

No small deliverance  ...stuck in a desert, hoping for a stream...

BRAVO, Leon!!!  ...we attended a most moving concert on Sunday

Gifts that don't bless...  ...should the gifts God gives us be a blessing to others too, or just us?

Three years and hundreds of blogs, many others unpublished... 

Saved according to...  ...God's love, NOT man's rules or my achievements

Always looking for a prophet  ...hasn't God "said" enough through his Son?

Life gets in the way  ...a hilarious look at priorities

Luckiest man alive!  ...the amazing blessing of love is in sight!

Good news of GREAT JOY!  ...Christ's birth is good news to who?

Your greetings mean more than you know!  ...words filled with love!!

Blessed are the inadequate!  ...worldly man hates inadequacy, spiritual man relishes it

Strange praises  ...worship in spirit and truth can sometimes be unconventional 

God may have brought my troubles  ...but I was always taught God only did GOOD things

My friend is dying  ...and I have no answers, but trust God our Father anyway

Beauty despised (a very sad parable) ...it is a terrible thing to despise real beauty

50 things I am thankful for  ...a Thanksgiving Day exercise

When Thanksgiving is hard  ...well, it ain't always easy, is it?

Clinging to scattered stones!  ...do we really believe our righteousness counts for nothing? 

Only a God who has been wounded himself  ...our God understands our pain

NEVER beyond his reach!  ...God not only creates, but restores too!!

Filthy rags  ...time to forget about trying to be righteous 

Waiting in hope, finding rest, and defying... 

A real purpose for living  ...our purpose for existing is right here!!!

See God, look UP!!  ...the heavens and skies declare and proclaim!!

Forgiveness a restoration  ...of a relationship, not a legal transaction! 

I'm just not getting fed here!  ...well, I wonder, whose fault is it anyway?

See Jesus!  ...see me, see him. Know me, know him.

God must be a really big bird!  ...but only if you take the words of the Bible literally

Am I delivered yet?  ...God has delivered us, will deliver us, and is delivering us!

Cart before the horse (obedience before the new heart)  ...what do ya expect from a heart of stone?

Will you? You can!  ...miraculous healing? Sometimes!!

Something unseen....then SEEN  ...our experience of the Holy Spirit is unseen, yet seen

Be careful little eyes what you see!  ...images captured in the mind can never be removed!

Notes from Town Hall w/MyChurch CEO Joe Suh 

How to make your profile viewable by other MyChurch users (and the public) 

A prayer.....for us 

A gift for ALL occasions  ...all of God's gifts to us come in the same wrapping paper

Till he shows us mercy  ...without it, we are lost, all of us!

The hidden terrors of Christianity  ...fact is, some people make it way harder (and scarier!)

Sin no more...  ...said Jesus. But is that what he really expects???

Giving God my ALL...finally  ...even after coming to Christ, it can take a long time

A better way to correct someone  ...a Godly example and very effective

Our family's first summer camp!!  ...favorite memories from vacation!

Jesus is gentle! He offers rest!  ...my favorite verse says so!!!

God isn't finished with me, or MyChurch! ...change is useful, even when counterproductive

Real greatness (not what we think?)  ...maybe I really am great?

Throwing in the towel (since I'm STILL not good enough) ...well, why continue?

God plays keep-away?  ...is there anything faith can't grab hold of?

The forgotten church...  ...some may still be waiting, but others have given up...

Blessed are the PASSIVE  ...good Christians are NOT necessarily assertive!

Pure folly!  ...the wisdom of the "wise" isn't always what it appears

Inward purity, the cure for pesky habitual sins  ...why leave the inside of the cup dirty?

My gay friend  ...who do you think stood between him and God?

Who do you think you are?!?  ...nuthin but a child

Another crack at Holy Communion  ...an intimate and spiritual experience w/my son

The weaker partner??  ...husbands, treat your wives AS the weaker partner

Pro-Jesus (not anti-abortion, or anti-gay marriage, or anti-this-or-that) 

Adversity and a doggie (Recipe for a great marriage)  ...God can use anything!

Feeling childlike  ...certainly ain't no pride in that!

Think I'd better stick with mercy  ...and let the Judge judge!

You lovely disciples!!  ...yeah, YOU who show you are Jesus' disciple by your....

Distracted by the seen  ...what are our eyes fixed on, the temporary or the eternal?

Sow in tears if I have to  ...persevering in Christ through the toughest circumstances

Incomplete armor??  ...who's got my back?

Just a little bad breath  ...our sins do little to ruin our relationship w/God, unless we let em

Love covering  ...by loving God, I lose sight of divisiveness

Done with the express  ...sometimes a longer commute is better!

Works, our purpose for being saved  ...a relationship with a purpose

REAL workmanship discovered!  ...it's not our works, it's US!!

I didn't really do anything.....why am I boasting? ...our works are actually prefabricated!!

Considering the source  ...the "enemy" isn't who we might think

A beautiful solace  ...music can be pure beauty, the right kind of music that is

That's what I call perfect timing!  ...God's timing is even better than I imagined!

Wretched joyous fool  ...humility comes easier when we accurately perceive our true position

When God's determination trumps faith  ...faith is important, but is it everything?

Singing while suffering  ...it's all about the witness

Exceeding the expected is never expected  ...if grace defies expectations, shouldn't we?

Where exactly does God live?  ...I still find the answer surprising, and wonderful!

Accused  ...but God is near

Laying it down for you  ...just what have I laid down, anyway?

When fear and love mix  ...love God or fear him? how about BOTH!!!

Blood on my hands  ...don't we all?

Pausing to remember Hope 

Put some clothes on, for Pete's sake!!!  ...put on Christ, your bare humanity's showing!

Taste! Please just taste!!  ...the feast is waiting, and waiting, and waiting.....

A glimpse at the genius of Jesus! ...Matt. 9:2-8 reveals Jesus at his best!

Resolved to rejoice (I'm forgiven!)  ...God doesn't WANT to be angry!!

Sunday IS the dessert!  ...the rest of the week sets up Sunday, NOT vice versa!

The strange delight of God  ...so hard to believe THAT'S his delight!!

Judge rightly, NOT by appearances!  ...why is this so hard?

To be completely lost in worship  ...two simple things make it possible

Chillin' in Norfolk  ...traveling for work doesn't always mean loneliness

Simply divisive  ...in defiance of a simple gospel

Can that be said with fewer words?  ...musings on the ideal blog length

The DISCIPLINE of appreciation - the cure for lost passion? 

No sin in a vacuum, as demonstrated on a bus!

First love lost  ...keys to maintaining love: doing and appreciating?

Deep and wide...beyond comprehension!  ...now THAT'S amazing!

Nothing new on New Year's Day  ...how to REALLY change myself

O holy night, the soul feels its worth  ...special song, special night!!

Free speech? Censorship? Whose blog is it anyway?  ...don't like my views..write your own blog!

My life is spinning out of control (and I think I like it)  ...whose control??

Please, DON'T just take my word for it  ...who should you really trust??? [DELETED?]

My little Sherlockian  ...my daughter is an award-winning fan!

Sharing Jesus should cost me something, right?  

Prayer...that's one powerful network!  ...never go anywhere alone again!

The over-simplified gospel, such a joy!  ...those who complicate, may sacrifice joy

Hope looks FORWARD!!  ...hope isn't for what we receive now, but later!!

If you are willing... you can  ...healing according to God's will, not ours

Be CAREFUL!!  ...live care-fully, the days are evil and distractions from God abound!

My curious fascination with blood  ...just can't get over the wonder of that sacrifice

What's the rush? Let's take the long way...  ...God gave us life to enjoy!!

Some leave because...  ...sometimes I struggle not to become another leaver

Another leader will come and go (2008 - 20??)  ...but God reigns FOREVER, amen!!

How God listens?  ...he listens, even though he knows what he's gonna hear!

Even the moments  ...with God for the most part, it's just those darned moments

The White Witch lives in Devil's Den  ...redemption demonstrated

Comforted by stumbling kin!  ...in really good company, and comforted!

Growing up with subtle fears  ...fear comes in many forms, and God can conquer them all!!

Sunday school silliness  ...on a good day in Sunday school...

Inspiring leadership  ...good leaders don't set themselves above those they "serve"

Love can be a one-way street ...love that isn't reciprocated can be quite....fulfilling

Measuring Christ  ...how do you tell real Christlikeness from a counterfeit?

My faith fosters courage, which leads to...ACTION! 

Bump, set, pray!  ...winless volleyball team has priorities straight

An endless contradiction, weighing heavily on me  ...the community assists

Politics does not make for a good ministry  ...in fact, it could be the ruin of ministry

Pleasant words are needed  ...not just another luxury!

Just scratching the surface  ...of this mountaintop with God!

Unfortunate circumstances???  ...or God opening doors?

I almost left MyChurch when...  ...sometimes God teaches us through humiliation

What's my example LOOK like?  ...must my life look EXACTLY like Jesus'?

So who will you vote for, and why should I care? ...one of our FEW blogs on politics

Still married DESPITE love languages!  ...take the test, find out your love language!

My secret life (a confession)  ..."another" side of me revealed

Imperfect spouses (19 years of GRACE!)  ...the Perfect Spouse shows grace is needed!!!

Teach less, share more  ...there's just a little too much teaching around here!

Tortoise and the hare (A marriage of contention!!)  ...somehow we've made it this far!

Pity to forgive  ...how we learned that pity helps with forgiveness

God is...  ...this list completes the sentence, in God's own words!

More or less faith than you think  ...many of us are deluded into thinking our faith is weaker than it really is

Who are you to correct?  ...whose job is it anyway???

Salvation by works, now I believe!  ...perhaps I can earn my salvation after all

My manna  ...I need it daily, and God provides

Four easy steps back to God  ...well, maybe not easy, but they sure look like steps

Is it possible the Bible is simple…and right?  ...what, easy to understand?

A God who does things vs. gods who ARE things (and nothing more)

Determining exactly what to offer God ...Abel knew, Cain did not; which am I like?

The gentle answer  ...when is it MOST needed?

The importance of a preposition ...God says so much, with so few words!

BE the church...today?  ...an invitation to BE

She slipped her hand into mine ...a child's adoration of her father 

Feels so good to be CHOSEN ...and by GOD, no less!!

What kind of evangelism was that? ...many of our efforts actually repel people from God

So are you gonna tell me your name or what? ...names are really important, to us and God!

How different am I? How different should I be? ...to be truly different, we need to question everything!

He who has the touch ...the healing, invigorating sense of touch...don't avoid it!

Looking for easy belief ...why can't God make it easy for everyone to believe???

GUARANTEED to get what I want ...it's all in the source of our desires

God told me to be still.... ...one morning I actually stopped and listened to God

Phases of MyChurch usage (See yourself?)

Words of life!!!! ...God's words are life, literally!!

No time for neighbors ...just forget 'em, life's too hectic!

MY sin, MY Savior ...yes, there's something to this "personal Savior" business

APPRECIATE LIFE (Tragedy can teach this, but why wait?)

Missing the point, once again ...at the heart of every issue is...the heart!!

I'm weak for Christ's sake ...when I'm weak then I'm strong? What the....?

Justice? No....trust ...learning to let God defend me

Doing myself violence? ...by overworking myself, living outside of God's will for me

Treasure their innocence!! ...every parent should read this one (reposted)

Why didn't I look to heaven sooner?? ...distracted from God by a difficult bro

Easter leftovers: Different resurrection stories?? ...discsrepancies in the gospels?

TOTALED! ...just what the title says

Wages and gifts (what are we REALLY earning?) ...earning vs. receiving

A blog to my 'black' brothers and sisters ...perhaps all of us need to be liberated?

Yard sale grace ...the legalist's junk is another man's treasure!!!

Encountering a sheep in wolf's clothing ...when ill behaved Christians "attack"

God, the great punching bag ...can he take it??

Worshiping with a dead man! ...what was I to think when he didn't respond...

My eyes are fixed! (Good Friday '08) ...nobody can deny me this!

Do anything I want, be anyone I want....why not?? ...maybe God has bigger plans?

So much for that triumphal entry ...by our actions we shout "CRUCIFY!!"

These children need your help NOW! ...neglected, mistreated...please help

Confirming my faith in people ...after "loving my neighbor" good things tend to happen!

Forgiveness is imperative! ...forgive, if you have any idea what God has done for you!

Just BEING a good neighbor, THIS ONCE ...loving my neighbor isn't always comfortable!

Christianity...a FEEL GOOD religion! ...don't ever be afraid to admit it!

REPORT 'em! Or better yet.... ...sometimes it's better to ask a few questions first

Denominations are good!! ...they get a bad rap these days, perhaps unfairly?

Assurance of salvation...got it? ...the most important question of all?

Thank God He has me COVERED!!! ...love covers ALL wrongs, amen!

The loneliest place on earth ...not where you might think! ...or is it?

Who is controlling me!! ...examining what I'm doing & why I'm doing it!

Then just sing! ...spontaneous praise can be a good thing, except when...

Friends first (sorry!!) ...why I'm stuck in my What's Fresh "clique"

I confess, I am deeply in debt ...a debt of love, that is!

Keeping his words near my heart (and EYES!!) ...our new strategy for memorizing scripture!

Real life, real issues, real pain ...wanting to do more than "merely" pray for people

My children... and HIS children ...how I love my kids, and how God loves HIS!!

Small group SPLIT!!! ...our small group split up this week, a good thing?

It is written, "It is written" ...Jesus elevated God's word to, well....God's words!

Christian schizophrenia ...Bill Maher thinks Christians are schizo (maybe we are?)

Science...or faith? (What to do with the evidence...)

MyChurch: 100,000 strong and growing!! ...where's your place in this community?

One of many (nothing more) ...the pure joy of praising God

Psalm 22 proves Jesus was who he claimed to be

When a loved one's Christianity turns out to be something else ...not quite "Christian"

What other kind of "day" is there?? ...24 hours, or some boundless age of time?

Children WANT to believe (in Santa) ...why not Jesus??

Really, I didn't mean it that way... ...please take what I write in the right spirit

Must I be blameless? ...why do I try so hard to please God?

God restores, but should I make restitution? ...is my relationship w/God a law thing?

The two most beautiful words... ...words of reconciliation!

A matter of perspective ...how you choose to look at life can make all the difference!!

Missing Miss Meg ...a "special" lady that we will never forget

Don't give in to shame ...present yourself, just DO it!

Gently "insisting" that you join us ...sometimes community has an "irresistible" draw

When fear has a purpose ...yes, God is love, but is he more??

I will offend you ...forgive me when I do?

Thankful for many things, but me? ...sometimes the hardest thing to be thankful for is...

Beware the impostor! ...looks and acts godly, but VERY dangerous!

More than just a clean sweep ...getting rid of bad habits means forming new ones

If you love me, obey... ...if you don't love, it won't to much good to obey

My pastor is not famous ...just one of many humble servants, toiling in the Lord's service

True unity is coming TOGETHER ...as opposed to being driven apart

Children and spirituality... Creative ideas needed? ...just how do you get through to kids?

Experience the UNITY (blogging from the road) ...relishing unity w/believers far from home

Love is... difficult! ...if they don't feel loved, have we really loved them?

More compassionate than God ...how is it possible? But some think they are...

Affirmation overdue? ...for someone I admire

Parenting... Teaching obedience, a lost art?

The "Getting to Know You" Survey by JessIAM ...personal trivia about mike

Such a thing as "just a little"? ...cross necessary for just one little sin?

Bare with me ...we are to bear with one another! (I with you and you with me)

Trapped in the wrong church! ...from my preferences to the Lord's calling

An Apollos moment ...how I got to see the plant 2 years after watering a "seed"

Our relationship will be tested - so prepare! ...important relationship? expect it to be tested!

Do you take the good with the bad, and for how long?

Pray for the miracle! ...don't get caught underestimating the Almighty!

A new perspective on the log in my eye ...alone we're all doomed to be deceived, eventually

Beautiful voices ...sing a new song to the Lord!

Merely coincidence? ...I don't think so...

Pharisee without a word ...are we approachable or is it the cold shoulder?

Sweet confirmation ...Alzheimers patients show their faith in touching ways

Remarkable story about a GREY FOX and God's providential care

Church in crisis? No way! ...as you and I grow, so does the Church!

Will you be on time for church tomorrow... ...it may be more important than you think

Continuing when you don't feel like it (on the importance of perseverance)

Be discontent! ...complacency = saying 'no' when God offers more

No peace on earth ...even (or especially?) with Jesus, conflict remains

A simple psalm of praise?

"Haunted" armoire? ...a strange classified ad, and a discussion about discernment

Finding real humility ...overcoming a misconception or two about humility

If there's one thing I do ...one thing that reveals where the heart is

Those we know who live as enemies of the cross ...Paul cried bitterly for them as do I

When God's Word isn't practical ...which parts of the Bible help us in our day to day lives?

A question of what motivates us ...is it law or grace, bondage or freedom?

A lifetime of sin like a speck of sand? ...seeing ourselves as God sees us

The ineffectiveness of worldly 'weapons' ...will we learn not to rely on them?

Starting small ...everyone has to start somewhere

Silent affirmation?

Two sides of grace ...do I rob people of blessings by denying them a chance to serve?

What if free really meant free ...here's why I feel so free!

Wondering if I am ever a "lion" in God's eyes ...follow my appetites, or trust God?

Transcending stress in my daily life

On comparing myself to others... ...establishing a proper point of reference for life

A simple quiet time strategy, just you, the Bible, and God... ...it's not just for beginners!

Is arguing amongst Christians ever a good thing?

When I put my faith on the line... ...what is a faith that pleases God? or a dead faith?

Teach your children diligently, you'll be amazed at what they might say!

What if today is the day... ...how many choices would make differently?

Don't settle for the SECONDHAND Word!! ...accept only the direct Word of God!

SCRAPPLE.... is it a sin? ...so embarassing, what was I thinking??

Thankful that I'm IMPERFECT ...if I was perfect, who would I depend on?

Am I really who I say that I am? ...service for God, but with a hard heart?

Is your "testimony" boring like mine?

The ideal MyChurch blog! ...my ideas on some characteristics of an ideal blog

A response to discouragement

Daddy, look at me!! ...yes, God is watching, but maybe not for the reason you think!

Thank God for nosy neighbors ...are we open to accountability?

Why aren't we talking about slavery? ...Jesus didn't. Paul didn't. Should we?

Well done, my son??? ...what can my little boy teach me? well, maybe a lot

Measuring up to the "perfect wife" ...the real Prov. 31 woman

Why don't you prove it to me! ...must we prove our love to God or just ourselves?

Big date tonight! ...check it out, it's not what you may think!

Yes, I can MAGNIFY Christ! ...but it's a daily choice

Becoming dissatisfied with dissatisfaction ...quit thinking about how life could be better and let God make it so!

Assigned seating in church? ...bad idea? we thought so!

Cast your cares (yes, ALL of them) ...God really wants them ALL

Motherhood: a career to ASPIRE to

Is it possible to call Jesus "Savior" but not "Lord"?

Immigration: a political issue? ...or an opportunity for the Church?

How could God create this evil world? ...for those with an objection to sin in the world

Be reconciled (or "How am I supposed to stay married to that jerk!")

Great God, great thoughts (inspired worship) ...what goes on in our minds while we worship?

God welcomes me in my afflictions ...why God only calls us to do our best

Was it a sad day, or much more? (Good Friday '07) ...a different look at Good Friday

The promised "who's coming to dinner" blog

How to "star" a blog

Proof that it cannot be proven (that God created)

What is TIME to God? ...go ahead and pray for things that have happened in the past!!

Working towards perfection ...no, I'm not there yet, but I'm on the way!

Are men and women interchangeable?

Giving...  ...just read it, along w/the comments, and I promise you will be blessed

How we achieved unity when the Enemy threatened to tear us apart...

Disney's The Lion King a COPYCAT of Kimba ...oh Walt, please say it ain't so!!

Worship His holiness! ...today I'm thanking God that He is not like me!

Real love endures (or else maybe it wasn't real love to begin with)

Practical advice to kick habitual sin

Husbands, we are called to TRUE headship! ...husbands should read this, and wives too!

A love so strong

God's gift of CHOICE (or Why there is suffering in the world)

Don't be bewitched! (God loves you the way you are) ...an exposition of Romans 3,4,5

Weird Christians ...we should be different from other people, shouldn't we??

Every single choice we make  ...even the seemingly insignificant ones

Is God's grace transformational?? 

Drive like a Christian!!  ...yes it is a possibility!

When do you stop worshiping?