formation – 300 words a day

How do I start living like Jesus?

The simplest answer is to take a time machine and travel back and start following Jesus around. That’s how the first disciples learned. Peter and James and John. Mary Magdalene. A bunch of other people. They went where Jesus went. They ate what Jesus ate. They wore what Jesus wore. They listened to what Jesus […]

by Jon Swanson

A moment of clarity.

My academic roots are in communication. I’ve spent years trying to clarify and illustrate and explain and mediate. At my best, I’m only partially successful. Of course, most of us aren’t much better. The biblical account traces this confusion back to a place known as Babel. Humans were ignoring God’s direction to spread out. They […]

by Jon Swanson

Not letting worry run away with you.

I was grateful Lystra Tea Company opened early. I needed some coffee. And some counsel. “You look awful,” Tim said. He filled a glass with water and a mug with coffee. I laughed. “Six miles does that to you,” I said. “I’m trying to enjoy running, but I’m guessing that it will never show on […]

by Jon Swanson

Practicalities and a gratitude

1. If you need to find a funeral home or need to compare funeral homes, parting.com is one resource we point people toward. Enter your ZIP code and answer a couple questions and you should have access to funeral homes near you. 2. What can you do today to make progress on something you are […]

by Jon Swanson

Fifteen seconds of reading isn’t fifteen seconds of life.

Jesus and Peter and James and John had climbed up a mountain (or hill). 1,500 feet or 9,000 feet (there are some disagreements about which mountain it was, exactly.) John, James, and Peter saw Jesus with robes whiter than any laundry person could bleach them. They saw Elijah and Moses standing with Jesus, chatting. Moses […]