Category: Life Notes

Second Day of Thanksgiving Reading: “The point is this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.  Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able … Continue reading Second Day of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Reading: “Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life...” Oprah Winfrey[1] Reflection: The focus of Thanksgiving is (supposed to be) Gratitude. Developing a sense of gratitude is a key to experiencing God’s … Continue reading Thanksgiving Day

Love and Death, Part 2 “Love and death share a common root. The best love stories end in death, and this is no accident. Love is, of course, and remains the triumph over death, but that is not because it abolishes death but because it is itself death.”[1] It is complicated and heartbreaking to close … Continue reading Love and Death, Part 2

Love and Death “Love and death share a common root. The best love stories end in death, and this is no accident. Love is, of course, and remains the triumph over death, but that is not because it abolishes death but because it is itself death.”[1] Most regular Life Notes readers know my wife, Carrie, … Continue reading Love and Death

The Extra-Religious Jesus, Part 2 “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.[1] I almost hate to admit this publicly, but I am frequently embarrassed to call myself a Christian. I am careful with whom, when, and where I profess my Christian beliefs, knowing it means … Continue reading The Extra-Religious Jesus, Part 2

The Extra-Religious Jesus “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.[1] As I have stated numerous times throughout this series, Jesus did not seek to start a new religion. Jesus sought to teach a holier way of living that is consistent with the will of God, … Continue reading The Extra-Religious Jesus

The Hero’s Journey, Part 4 We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.[1] Last week I speculated that the invitation for Jesus’ Hero’s Journey culminated in his baptism after what was likely many years of … Continue reading The Hero’s Journey, Part 4

The Hero’s Journey, Part 3 We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.[1] It is difficult to identify the events in Jesus’ life leading up to the initial stage of the Hero’s Journey that ultimately … Continue reading The Hero’s Journey, Part 3

The Hero’s Journey, Part 2 We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.[1] The typical cycle for the Hero’s Journey, as I described last week, is an invitation, initiation, transformation, and return or resurrection. Such … Continue reading The Hero’s Journey, Part 2