Blogs

I recently completed a book entitled The Band That Played On, by Steve Turner. It’s a well-researched account of the musicians who lost their lives aboard the Titanic. As Turner recounts the past life of the band leader, Wallace Hartley and his roots in Colne, mention is made of John Wesley’s visits to that region and in particular Lancashire and Colne, notoriously known for its tough and violent reputation. Turner goes on to describe the impact Wesley had on…

It was a magnificent day on the Chesapeake Bay overlooking the C&D Canal at one of our favorite spots - Schaefer’s Canal House. We come here often, not only to write but to relax – taking in the scents and the sounds of the boats and ripples from the tiny waves lapping against the bulkhead. A no-wake zone. Colleen and I were enjoying a day away from the grind - tipping our glass to the greatness of God. Taking in the sites. People watching has to be the…

It was December 1st, 1995, when I walked into the US Marshals office at 601 Market Street in Philadelphia a free man – and exited a prisoner. In handcuffs, ankle cuffs chained together and to two other men shuffling to a waiting van in an underground garage. ‘How the heck did I get here?’ was the question I asked myself many times over the subsequent 90 Days in Federal Prison. Locked up for pleading guilty to multiple felony counts of mail fraud - setting…

From a very young age, I (Colleen) can remember God’s presence in my life. In fact, as a child, my parents described my life as “mystical”. Since my parents were Catholic at the time, they viewed me as going the way of Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross, far from a positive thing in their minds. An interesting side-note, I did not learn until I was 45 that my Father and Mother had prayed against my “gifts” until my Dad realized that my…

Steve had the privilege of speaking with J.R. Woodgates in the next episode of the Embracing Brokenness Podcast. J.R. is the author of Daily Light on the Prisoner's Path, and a former Voice of America on-air personality.J.R. graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in broadcast journalism. He enjoyed a long radio career, internationally for 27 years at the Voice of America, locally in Washington, DC for 13 years at WETA part-time. He was live on-air with…

Whatever happened to Barabbas? We know a few things from reading the Gospels, but very little about what happened prior to or after his release. Barabbas is mentioned in all four of the New Testament gospels: Matthew 27:15–26; Mark 15:6–15; Luke 23:18–24; and John 18:40. His life intersects that of Christ at the trial of Jesus. Barabbas was a felon. A criminal charged with insurrection and murder. But here stands Jesus, an innocent man,…

Life is like a short-term mission trip. What does it feel like to know that we only get a limited time on this earth and that making the most of it is paramount? Satan has no intention of allowing us to be a difference maker for God’s Kingdom here on Earth. If he can influence us into bad behavior, otherwise known as sin, and get us sidetracked, he wins. In his world, we just become one more neutralized Christian. I found myself in a futile attempt to manage my sin…

AW Tozer once said that what comes to mind when you think about God is the most important thing about you. Why? Because the way you see and think about God shapes the way you see and think about everything else. If you answer the question “who is God?” with “the giant dictator in the sky,” your behavior, how you move through your day, will probably be marked by fear and hesitancy, hoping you don’t mess up and get smited for it. If you answer…

What’s in Your Top Box? It’s a question I heard from Bill Hybels way back at the 2015 Global Leadership Summit. Bob Buford was asked the same question from a high-powered strategic planner he hired as he was considering how to move from success to significance in the second half of his life. I’ve asked that question of myself more than once during my 35-year career as a business owner, employee, leader, and now in ministry. It’s a question that each…