Reflection of the Day: Sprinters are usually more fun to watch than marathoners. They definitely appeal to my attention span. We need their bursts of energy to inspire us and get us going, but we also need to recognize that most things require more than a sprint. And there is no contradiction between the two. Even marathoners sometimes have to inject a short-term burst of speed into their routine. Lent has characteristics of both in various ways. Lent is a “sprinting period” through the year-long marathon of following the Lord. And it is more than an Ash Wednesday and Good Friday sprint – it’s 40 “long” days of extra…

Reflection of the Day: God really does want to save us. He knows that we can be bad. Some of us more than others. Maybe a few (hopefully) deserve to actually be called “wicked.” I’ll leave that designation to God, but God even wants those designated as wicked to turn and he’ll forgive them. I’m sure he will forgive my sins – if I turn and ask, but sometimes I’m stubborn and don’t want to admit I need God’s mercy. Lent is a good time to discipline myself and remember.   Tip: Let’s think about our most vexing fault and today – with God’s help – avoid it. And then,…

It’s so obvious, and yet sometimes it’s so hard to want for others what we want for ourselves. My favorite example is this. On a freeway, somebody goes speeding past us and down the road. The person gets pulled over. How many times have we thought or said: “Good. He deserved it.” Ah, but what about the time we were in a hurry and got pulled over? Didn’t I plead for mercy form the police officer? I know I did.   There are so many other examples. You can come up with your own, but the gospel’s advice still holds – in whatever every situation, think about how you would like…

Reflection of the Day:      I am not sure that the adage, “the path to hell is paved with good intentions” is accurate.  God is pretty good at reading our hearts, and, if they are in the right place, I think we are in good shape with God.  Having said that: good intentions need to be reflected in good actions that put those intentions into practice.  This requires the discipline to do so; to not get distracted by whatever is our excuse this time. Lent is the perfect opportunity to undertake some sacrifice that gets us out of our own way to get us more in tune with God…

Write down the first three words that come to mind when you think of the word holy. Are the words about God, me, or someone else? Think about them for 5 minutes. What do these words mean to you? Do any of these words apply to people you know, who you think are holy? What can we do to be more holy people? Holiness means hanging enough with God to let God’s ways and perspective rub off on us.  But God’s a sneaky one.  If we hang with him enough, we’ll figure out he’s always concerned about our families, friends, and even our enemies who need things to live their…