Embracing Brokenness Book Excerpt

In his Introduction to Living in the Light - Money, Sex & Power, John Piper made a few very insightful observations. “God did not conceive and create money, sex, and power simply to be a temptation. He had good purposes in mind. Money, sex, and power exist for the great aims of God in human history. They are not detours on the path of God-exalting joy. Along with all the rest of God’s good world they are the path. With them we can show the supreme worth of God.;…

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…

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…

Charles Spurgeon said, “I will never have it that God created any man, especially any Christian man, to be a blank and a nothing. He made you for an end. Find out what that end is. Find out your niche and fill it. Do something in this great battle for God and Truth.” Mark Twain proclaimed a serious truth in the following statement. “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Wow. Perfect. Everyone…

God gave me an image in my mind and imagination. That when the veil tore--we could freely step back into the garden of Eden where we could once again walk and talk with Him. As he shared this image, I realized the significance of this representation of the journey for all of us. The need for each of us to give up the law and any notion that we can work our way back to God. That we must accept all of the rites that come with accepting Jesus' sacrifice. This sacrifice…

We have a saying around here. “The Tree is Me”. Kind of a strange way to introduce the topic of brokenness and restoration, but we love the imagery. Studying the charcoal that we commissioned will reveal a host of realities that each person on the planet must cope with; from the day we’re born. As we journey through this life and the reality of the world we live in, there’s a crisis of identity that needs to be sorted out. Yet, so many of us avoid…

In Ephesians 1 Paul gives us an amazing insight. “...even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.” (ESV) That part where He chose us before the foundation of the world. That’s powerful. He knew us before…

“We are called to be completely irrelevant and to stand in this world with nothing to offer but our own vulnerable self.”[i] - Henri J.M. Nouwen 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.…