Russellings of the Spirit

God

  • GLOW

    My wife GLOWs. Every fourth Thursday of the month. From 5:30 to 7:00. And because she GLOWs, we glow (and grow) together as a family. You see, GLOW is the name of the women’s cancer support group Joan attends at… Continue reading

  • Go Do Love

    Yesterday at church I heard an inspiring sermon. The pastor challenged me (well, all of us actually) to make an intentional practice of acknowledging the many-layered, complex, rich, and vibrant nature of every person we meet. She told us that… Continue reading

  • Celebrating Women in Ministry

    From watching the TODAY Show this morning, I learned that today – October 11 – is the International Day of the Girl. Seems like something I should have known already. I hope you won’t take offense at being called girls,… Continue reading

  • The Guatemalan Giggle of Grace

    In my life, moments of grace have come in many different forms. The compassionate word. The gentle glance. The understanding touch. The sweet smile. My heart will always reserve a special place for that day when grace came in the… Continue reading

  • The Staged Life

    Joan and I are now living the “staged life.” And I really don’t like it. At all. Here’s the deal; two weeks ago, we put our house on the market. We are in the process of doing what many retired… Continue reading

  • Sometimes it’s complicated

    It seemed like a good idea at the time. Our little Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier puppy Rosie had grown to her full size and was becoming a handful for Joan and me. Yes, a fuzzy, lovable, cute handful. But a handful… Continue reading

  • The Love Loophole

    I love you. At least I know I am supposed to love you. It is one of the central commands of the Christian faith I profess. (See John 13:34, John 15:12, Romans 12:10, Romans 13:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:9, 1 Peter… Continue reading

  • Change is Good?

    I preach change all the time. When some flavor of change seems to be looming on the horizon, I find scripture to cite to assure folks that God is not just GOOD with change but often actually goes out of his… Continue reading

  • The man on the bench

    I almost missed him, and thereby, his invitation. The low, one-story building came slowly into view on the left as we drove through Hays, Kansas earlier this week. The building was made of red brick with a corrugated metal roof.… Continue reading

  • For me?

    Joan and I (and Joan’s daughter Jessica) are in Puerto Rico for a few days, enjoying our first-ever trip to this island. What an amazing place! If you have never been, I highly recommend it. For Jessica, this is a… Continue reading