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Random Thoughts

The things we don’t know

Not far from the Goble Ranch, a couple hundred feet down the side of a steep hill surrounded by oak trees, sits the ruins of what is probably a 1940 Ford. Not much is left – just the body and frame. The serial numbers and license plates are long gone, as is the engine.

Nobody knows how or when it got there. But it’s been at least 50-years because that was when I first found it. It was an old wrecked junker even then.

We’ve made up stories about the car for years. It was used by bootleggers, or it …

Apocryphal, Generosity, Leadership, Philanthropy, Random Thoughts,

Five Ways to be Countercultural

Last week I attended a conference with a plenary session featuring two Senators (one Democrat and one Republican). The facilitator, a former Governor, led them in a conversation about how our faith can inform our public engagement.

A lot of the conversation focused on how we can transcend the worst aspects of partisan politics. The idea of vilifying and demonizing those who disagree with us was rejected, and the politicians shared examples of how to disagree with respect. It was a good reminder for all of us, and the Senators navigated the conversation beautifully. They received a standing ovation.

An …

Leadership, Random Thoughts,

The Sack of Constantinople, Sorta

Three events in the last few months has reinforced an idea that’s been percolating. They have also reminded me how much we can learn from our past.

The first event was during my book promotion. I was a guest on a podcast, and the host was amazed to hear people of faith actually lived and worked in Silicon Valley. Seriously, he was stunned to hear bible studies actually happened in the corporate offices of places like Google, Facebook, and Apple. I was equally stunned that this informed and well educated man in the Midwest perceived Silicon Valley as so, well, …

Junkyard Management, Random Thoughts,

Deconstructing

A bit of advice for my friends deconstructing their faith.

The junkyard is where things are taken apart. There’s a reason people in the business called them auto dismantling centers! We earned our living by stripping cars of every valuable part, then selling the bits and pieces to our customers.

And what did our customers do once they bought those parts? They fixed their car. They made something better.

I admired our customers. They had a finished product. It ran well, or it looked good, or was more whole. They didn’t just strip something apart in a few moments of …

Random Thoughts,

Frustrating Parables

Parables can drive me crazy because they make me think. This became apparent to me, for the zillionth time, while writing the upcoming Lent devotions. Over and over Jesus speaks in parables.

I don’t really want to think; thinking is hard. Sometimes I wanted to grab Jesus by the shirt collar and yell, “Just tell me what you want me to know, damnit!”

And I’m not the only one. The disciples were often clueless. Same with the Pharisees, legal experts, and everyone else. Look, I’m being a bit flippant here, but everyone talks about what a brilliant teacher Jesus …

Leadership, Philanthropy, Random Thoughts,

New Year Resolutions

A pastor/friend asked me what my resolutions were for the New Year. Making resolutions is not something I typically do, but it triggered a thoughtful conversation and had me thinking. What, exactly, do I really care most about for the new year?

I landed on three priorities: Truth, Generosity, Love.

We live in an era some have defined as post-truth. That’s debatable, but it does seem that the loudest voices and biggest platforms drive narratives to fit a particular angle on reality. We only shoot the messenger if the message comes from the wrong cable television station — truth be …

Random Thoughts, So you think you're a writer?,

Advent Devotions

I’m been hinting about this . . . and now it’s time to share. Over the past year I’ve written a series of devotions for Advent. They are short (a one-minute read) and will be emailed each morning to your inbox. It all starts on November 27.

These are not your typical devotions. They have a junkyard flavor in the sense they are very, very human. It’s a road trip to Bethlehem, sorta.

These are also not your typical Advent insights. It follows the untold story of Mary & Joseph as they process everything happening around them. As I say …