disciple – Page 5 – 300 words a day

John the expecter.

(Part one of a three-part reflection from John 1:29-34.) May I tell you about John the Baptist? I know that you may know all about him, but I’d like to review. John lived six months before Jesus. More accurately, he was born about six months before Jesus. Their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary, were relatives. Both of […]

by Jon Swanson

Psalm 1.

(First published July 13, 2011) When you pick up a book of poetry or a book of song lyrics, you have to work. You cannot read Gerard Manley Hopkins or W.H. Auden or Bono the same way you read Malcolm Gladwell or Donald Miller. With poems, you have to stop often, read out loud at […]

by Jon Swanson

Why I quit running.

I was doing great. As of July 22, I had run at least a mile every day for 425 days. In a row. On July 23, I didn’t run. I wasn’t injured. I didn’t forget. I made a choice. I switched my focus from running every day to training for a marathon. I asked a […]

by Paul Merrill

Always lead?

My bike shoes have it all wrong. And the major message we hear today is wrong too: “Being a leader is the only way to succeed.” Jesus has a different idea. He wants us to follow. As he was calling people who would spend the most time with him, Jesus didn’t ask what degree they […]

by Jon Swanson

A word on streaks.

(A guest post from Ted Harris) 18,937 – 2,632 – 56 – 24 – 23 – 16 All of these numbers carry little significance except to the person they represent. 18,937 straight days I have awakened to a new day. 2,632 consecutive games played by Cal Ripken, Jr. 56 straight games with a hit for […]