There is something God-placed, deep in the heart of every person: the longing to know and be known. You were made to “know” others and for others to “know” you.

Of course that means more than knowing your name, your family, and your career. It means to know the “real” you, the parts of your lives you tell few people: what you struggle with, what longings are unmet, what you aspire to be but fall short, how you want to be closer to your spouse or kids but can’t seem to “make it happen.” It’s the kind of stuff you can’t talk about in the school parking lot or during a worship service. [Read more...]

Contentment is one of those things we always seem to be chasing, like attorneys chasing ambulances, except the attorneys apparently catch the ambulances!

Philippians 4:11 “… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

Contentment doesn’t come “naturally” or “automatically” to the Christian. Even the great apostle Paul had to learn contentment.

What comes “naturally” or “automatically” are things like griping, muttering, complaining, and grumbling, all children of the parents known as “Never Enough” and “I Deserve Better.” [Read more...]

Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. It’s better to take your car to Jiffy Lube than change the oil yourself. Here are a few of my “experiences:” oil spill on driveway the size of the Alaskan tanker Valdez, forgot to put “plug” back in oil pan resulting in Valdez oil spill up the street, and realizing the last time I changed the oil was, gulp, THREE years ago!

Jiffy Lube now sends me a post card every three months. I take my car in. Oil changed. Car happy. Customer happy. [Read more...]

Dave Tippett gives us Five Signs You’ve Gone to a Bad Tax Service
5. They ask if you want fries with that refund.
4. IRS auditors have their own parking spot.
3. Corporate motto: “Never Convicted!”
2. They can replace your muffler at the same time.
1. They have a frequent guest punch card from the folks at “Sixty Minutes.” [Read more...]

Over the last few weeks I’ve talked to lots of people about their lives. A common thread runs through virtually every conversation–dissatisfaction.

The list is almost endless. Dissatisfied with their spouse, their marriage, their work, our church, having to make an effort to do something, having to make an extra 10 minute trip in the car, not getting provolone cheese on their Togo sandwich, getting a “Grande” (medium) instead of a “Venti” (large) at Starbucks. The attitude that comes through is similar to one you’d expect to hear from 4 year olds that didn’t get a balloon after spending 10 hours at Disneyland.

Some of the conversations have an unstated undercurrent of “What’s wrong with God” theme.

The list sometimes get a little personal. [Read more...]