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Random Thoughts

Gates of Hell Revisited

A few years ago I posted an insight about the poor and the rich. It really wasn’t a well written or particularly well developed insight; just a few notes I had pulled together and felt were worth sharing. It resonated with a lot of people back then, and since even more tend to read my blog now (thanks!) it seemed worthwhile to post it again. So here, in an unedited form, are a few notes I made several years ago:

Richard Foster wrote that the rich live at the gates of hell. I’m not sure which book it was in, …

Apocryphal, Random Thoughts,

My 2012 Predictions

A friend recently asked me what was going to happen in 2012. I looked at him curiously … why would he think I’d have a clue? He persisted, “Make some predictions. I’m curious what you are thinking.”

Well … hmmm …

I never did answer him and instead promised a junkyard wisdom post about the question. So, at the risk of looking like a total idiot a year from now, here are ten predictions for 2012.

1. The economy is going to slowly improve. Liberals will decry even fatter Wall Street bonuses as they brag about a recovery under an …

Random Thoughts,

Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?

Oh, the brilliance of Charles Schulz. May the Charlie Brown Christmas Special be aired forever. Merry Christmas to all!

…

Random Thoughts,

David Cameron Celebrates The King James Bible

It’s the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, and last summer I had the opportunity to see some of the earliest versions on display in Oxford. Apparently UK Prime Minister David Cameron was invited to speak about the importance of this historical translation, and I found his comments stunning. You could see an American President making this speech (maybe), but it is unusually bold from an English politician. I love it!

Prime Minister David Cameron:

It’s great to be here and to have this opportunity to come together today to mark the end of this very special 400th anniversary …

Book Reviews, Random Thoughts,

The Sword of the Lord, by Joseph Hocking

I’ve been told that this blog post — which is really a book review — is going to tick some people off. I honestly hope not. But if so, so be it ….

The Sword of the Lord is a romantic tale of adventure written by Joseph Hocking over 100-years ago. I bought my copy at Chaucer Head Bookshop in Stratford-upon-Avon. The inside cover has a label that indicates it was a prize awarded to “Mary” at the “Children’s Sixth Protestant Demonstration” in 1910. I liked the style of the book binding and the curious story of a young girl …

Apocryphal, Family, Random Thoughts,

Nicknames

Had a nice conversation with an old friend the other day, and he kept calling me “Kid” even though I was his boss for two decades. I finally stopped him and asked, “What’s up with this “kid” stuff?” He laughed and reminded me that it was my nickname when I was working in the wrecking yard. I’d forgotten about that! When we worked there I was always the youngest around, thus the name.

That got me thinking about all the nicknames I’ve had over the years. Thankfully not many of them have stuck. Thought I’d share a few of the …

Random Thoughts,

Life as Prayer

Many years ago, when I was far younger than today, I was interviewing a person for an important leadership position at a ministry. He was about my age and I asked him to describe his prayer life. He answered, “My life is a prayer.”

That’s all he said. I sat there waiting for him to elaborate. He didn’t.

Curious, I asked the typical follow-up questions. How do you do that? What does it look like? Are there exercises to follow? How can you attain such intimacy with God at such a young age? I wanted an answer that helped me …

Random Thoughts,

Easter Week

Today is the first day of Easter Week. I know, you think of Easter week as being last week! But last week was Holy Week, this week is Easter Week. Confused? Well, it’s not that big of a deal, so don’t worry about it.

Suffice to say that this is a time of true celebration. Actually, tradition has it that the entire week is just one long day … a time to worship, shout for joy, sing songs of praise, laugh heartily, and focus on the astounding truth of the resurrection. That’s quite a party!

There is no fasting this …