Do we control our future or do we follow God’s plan?
Neither. I realize that is not a helpful answer when we are trying to make decisions. However, many factors beyond our control have an effect on our future. We cannot follow a plan when we do not know what the plan is. So, is there any help from our spiritual understandings when we need to […]
Progress Report
It isn’t as big a deal here in the central valley of California as it is in the great plains, but when you set your goal to reach the mountains seen in the distance, it seems like it takes forever to reach them. You could become discouraged at an apparent lack of progress if you […]
Free Will in a Labyrinth
Did you know that you cannot get lost in a labyrinth? You can get lost in a maze. The labyrinth has many twists and turns, but only one path available between the lines. You will eventually reach the center or the exit, depending on which way you are traveling. A maze has many twists and […]
Kaleidoscopes
Beautiful panes of colored glass seem to be perfection. Without flaws, the colors stand apart. Then it all breaks. What can we do with broken glass? We hate the idea of brokenness. We fear that whatever caused the breakage may be repeated. What can we do when what was flawless and self-contained is shattered? This is […]
Beyond the Crises
As I sighed at yet another example of fear mongering in political campaigns, I realized that churches are as guilty of it as political parties. We can go from crisis to crisis as a management style, using doom and gloom to motivate. Crises create anxieties. Anxieties look for crises as justifications for their existence. It becomes a cannibalistic […]
Creating Your Future
Question: Why in the world would people choose this place in Nebraska to build a town? Answer: The pioneers were traveling on the trail west and ran into a spell of bad weather, so they decided to stop and wait for the weather to clear up. They’re still waiting. That was the explanation given to me […]