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How to think about what is right.

( First published April 11, 2016) In one of his letters, Paul tells the readers to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. It’s a nice list. But many of us struggle with application. I want to suggest that when Paul talks about focusing on what is right, […]

by Jon Swanson

What do you want to be true of you in five years?

(I first published this on June 24, 2010. Did any of you take my advice then? What if we started now?) “What do you want to be true of you as a leader in five years? What do you want your wife to say about you as a church leader? What do you want your […]

by Paul Merrill

That log in my eye, again

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?” -Jesus, in Matthew 7. I keep fighting a war with myself over being judgmental. I’ll discover that someone I know does one of those things that drives me crazy, and that helps me to accept others that […]

by Paul Merrill

Waiting again

Heather and I are at a place of waiting again. We are trusting God for what’s next in several areas of our lives. It’s not easy, nor is there lots of fun in that aspect of our journey. I’m reminded of family car journeys, when the kids ask, “Are we there yet?” The kids are […]

by Paul Merrill

Humility hurts

Over and over, I’ve made mistakes that have landed me in a place of having to admit that I am wrong. And it hurts to be seen as weak or inadequate. Our culture fights against being seen as less than a super-strong person with nearly every voice we hear. Another way we have to butt […]