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May 30, 2013
Transcending the Ordinary
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I just paid the electric bill. This time was no different than any other time. Paying bills is something most of us have to do. Not exactly what we’d call exciting or awe-inspiring. In fact, I’d probably call it boring and meaningless. Life is replete with these kind of moments. Errands. Taking the dog out. Paper work. Grading papers. Drinking a latte.... Read More + |
May 29, 2013
Can Antisocial Leaders Succeed?
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Sandra was a bold, charismatic woman who easily dominated the room when I was co-teaching a Bible study in the women’s mod of Santa Ana Jail in Santa Ana, California. Like many of her jail mates, Sandra had a tendency to say “all the right things,” but did not necessarily demonstrate real understanding of what the truths of Scripture could mean for her... Read More + |
May 29, 2013
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
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I easily get sidetracked in Bible study, especially on those Sunday mornings when my study partners are a handful of inquisitive fifth-graders. That’s exactly what happened a couple weeks ago, when we gathered in our tiny Sunday school room, which doubles as the pastor’s office at the back of our white-sided country church. I can’t say for sure anymore,... Read More + |
May 27, 2013
Books on Culture: The Life of the Body, week four
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Our young niece trailed behind my husband. “What’s this?” she asked. Dennis glanced back. “It’s a toadstool. It’s inedible.” He continued down the path, assuming Kristin followed. “It doesn’t taste good.” Dennis whipped around. “Didn’t I just tell you not to eat that?” he scolded. Little Kristin spit and stared at him with pooling eyes. Later my sister... Read More + |
May 26, 2013
Upper Crust Café
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The Upper Crust Café in Rockwall is a pure Texas gem—owned by Margie and Bill Orgain and known for fabulous bread pudding. "The best bread pudding on the planet," their motto says. And it comes in seven flavors. Margie Orgain's bread puddings are edible art. Every batch receives painstaking attention. Why so much effort? "Because special guests come... Read More + |
May 24, 2013
Dad Said I Could
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With the confetti hardly swept from the floor, my grandfather lost the family business. “Celebrating 75 Years,” the photo read, with Grandpa, Great-Grandpa, and Great-great-Grandpa standing tall for the camera. We were the Lowe’s of little town. But soured relationships and a spoiled inheritor buckled its knees. What does it take to receive the baton... Read More + |
May 23, 2013
Full Circle
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He drew a smiley face underneath the day circled in red on the family calendar. I wasn’t nearly as giddy, and all I could really manage was a weak smile and an acknowledgement of the inevitable. While he was counting down the days until he left home, I still felt a sad certainty of resignation. For 18 solid years, we had prepared for this moment. When a... Read More + |
May 22, 2013
Star Trek and the Image of God
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Two behemoths rule the world of sci-fi: Star Wars and Star Trek. The two franchises have spun off movies, books, toys, and conventions. They've made piles of money, and dominated the pop cultural imagination. And they still manage to explore what it means to be human. In many ways, these stories ask the same question theologians have asked for centuries:... Read More + |
May 22, 2013
Avoiding the Success Trap
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Some might say that insecurity is my vocational Grim Reaper. I’d prefer to see it as ingenuity keeping things fresh. Either way, the traditional success story of rising to the top eludes me because I don’t stay on any work path long enough to go "Big." I get bored, say yes to the next shiny opportunity, or fill my life with so many engaging tasks that... Read More + |
May 22, 2013
Working Hard With Jake of Neverland
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I’m sitting in the first part of a day-and-a-half meeting, one I was shoehorned into at the last minute. To attend this meeting means my work schedule, already jam-packed and high-stress, is wrecked. I should write a book of business theory called Management by Chaos. For several months, this has been my work life—crisis-ridden, every day a frenzy of... Read More + |
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Daily Reflection From Laity Lodge
Do You Ever Wish God ...
In yesterday's post, I talked about my friend John, who, in his preaching, often reveals spoilers from popular movies or books. If you're in his church and you don't see a hit movie on opening... Read More +
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