It's good to remind ourselves that shalom isn’t something we practice alone, isolated from others. Shalom is about flourishing together.

It’s so easy to lose sight of what matters in our twenty-first century American culture. In our arrogance we think we know better how to live. I’m not so sure.

It’s not unusual to hear stories about wildfires raging out of control but it’s certainly different when you might be in the path of destruction.

Life can get confusing these days, so I’m thankful I don’t have to navigate the culture in the dark.

Life is hard enough without intentionally making it worse. Why would we destroy our own house? Good question. Why would we?

Some people view Christianity as just another religion and the Bible as a book of rules. Even many Christians view the Bible that way. But is that really true? Is that God’s heart in giving us His Word?

Both the Old Testament and New Testament affirm that joy is not dependent upon circumstances so much as faith and belief. It’s about choices we make and the fruit of those choices.

The mouth exposes the heart. It’s a way to hurt others before they hurt you. It’s a means of controlling the environment. When a heart is consumed with self the mouth runs out of control.

There’s no question the church has lost significant ground in America. Some would suggest we just need to keep saying the same thing repeatedly only louder.

People say the right things. They get behind a microphone or a computer and wax eloquent. On and on they go about this and that. They tweet noble thoughts and wise sounding words. They love to speak of things like tolerance, acceptance, and kindness.

The winners build snow forts, and the losers live in ruin. Neither wins.

All the paperwork, policies, and regulations come down to the simple fact that people can’t be trusted. People cheat. They lie. They cut corners. They disadvantage others to advantage themselves. So, we intervene. But the intervention comes at a great cost. We all pay when shalom breaks down.

As you approach the light you realize it’s not the same cabin. As a matter of fact, the closer you get the more evident it becomes that this is not a real cabin at all. It’s like a Hollywood set. The cabin is merely a façade. The fire is fake giving off no warmth. Behind it is a graveyard.

Skillful living requires we discern between the seekers and the scoffers. It’s not our job to silence and judge all the wolves. God will do that.

What if you really were in a winter survival situation? Imagine you’re disoriented, freezing, and trying to find some place for a shelter before you perish. Through the falling snow, in the darkness, you see the flickering lights of a cabin. Maybe there is hope.

Death here isn’t simply talking about dying. Death is referring to all that is contrary to life. Death is about misery, emptiness, and hopelessness. It’s about fear and anxiety and despair.

That means for thousands of years—the majority of the existence of mankind—all the beauty, wonder and majesty of the ocean was visible only to God. Why would God create all the colors and complexities of the ocean if no one could see it for most of human history?

People lie. Some people lie as a way of life. Years ago, Jon Lovitz created a character called the liar guy. He simply made up his version of the truth as he went along. It was quite funny. Sadly, the liar guy has gone from a funny bit on the Johnny Carson show to standard operating procedure for many of our nation’s leaders and media today. 

Yes, it’s true, I dwell on some things (Patti would say obsess) until I figure them out. Over the years I have done this a lot with trying to understand and apply God’s Word to our lives. I get the biblical truth of the text but how does this apply to us? What makes it relevant to our lives?