Charlie's Journey's Journal

And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them.   But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them,  “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.   Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”   And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them. ” (Mark 10:13-16) Have you ever wondered the value of this exchange found in the New Testament?  Just about any other Bible reference to  spiritual development demands a need for maturity, so why the emphasis on childlikeness?  I am not sure that I have the all the answers for why Jesus encouraged His disciples to take on the attitudes of children, but I think that I have come to appreciate one of them – simplicity.  It is easy for me to get “wrapped around the axle...

On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King addressed a crowd gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.  The event would be called “The March On Washington”, but it was punctuated by one of Dr. King’s most notable addresses that would become known as the “I Have A Dream Speech”.  Dr. King discussed a “dream” he had for this nation, a belief he would describe as being deeply rooted in the American dream.  He imagined a time when people would be judged by character, not color … a time when equality could be enjoyed by all citizens … a time when injustice and oppression would be transformed into freedom and justice … a time when diversity could be embraced in the name of brotherhood.  In essence, King dreamed of a time of unity, equity and equality.  I believe that in the last half century we have made progress as a nation, but I know the dream has been fully achieved.  In fact, I am not sure that it will ever be completely attained because it must ...

I believe that each of Jesus’ parables was taught with one basic lesson in mind; however, they are so rich and full of insight that sometimes parallel principles can be gathered.  Take for example, the Parable Of The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  Initially the story answered the verbal question, “Who is my neighbor?” and followed up on how we should demonstrate our love to them.  While the focus of the parable is on the Samaritan who loved his neighbor, there might be a secondary lesson found in the priest and the rabbi.  Neither of them did anything to further harm the injured man they encountered along their path … in fact, they didn’t do anything at all.  Interestingly their lack of action provided a backdrop for godliness – someone doing good.  We have a hero in our story (the Samaritan), we have some bad guys (the robbers) and then we have these two men.  They were not as vile as the offenders, but they didn’t live up to the level of Christ-ap...

During the next week or so people will be making (and breaking) New Year’s Resolutions. Moving from one year to the next it is a natural time for rededication, but I think there is value in taking a brief look back.  We must not allow the past to overwhelm us with our failures or regrets, rather it can help us plan the days and months to come.  As we spend the time assessing where we have been and where we are going we need to be thankful that we have this opportunity.  Some people who had grand plans for 2017 didn’t live long enough to accomplish their goals.  Some people who had good intentions to correct their flaws didn’t get the opportunity to get it done.  All these folks left this earth either with wasted potential or regrets.  As I thought about unfulfilled lives I was drawn to a story told by Jesus in Luke 16 about an unnamed rich man and a pauper named Lazarus.  The lives of the two men paralleled each other, but there was little interacti...

Throughout the years there has been a lot of discussion among those who identify as “Christians” as to the validity of honoring Christmas.  Some groups have invested a lot of time and energy in bringing significance to December 25 as a religious holiday while others have shied (or run) away from it.  Even among our own brethren the debate continues today – do we celebrate the season or not?   If we choose to participate, is it okay to place religious significance on the day or can we merely participate in the social aspects of season?  Do we gather around a Christmas tree or nativity scene? While I see the legitimacy of both sides of the argument, there is one thing that we should all agree on – Jesus cannot be left in the manger.  There is something wonderful about the story of Jesus being born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothing and placed in manger; but apart from the rest of His life there would be no gospel.  The miracles surrounding Jes...

Many of you have heard me tell stories of growing up in Florida while others of you are aware that Jeane and I lived in Orlando prior to moving to Maryland.   Interestingly, sandwiched between those two stints in the Sunshine State was a lot of cold weather.  We spent about 30 years living in Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming.  During those years we “enjoyed” our share of blizzards and cold temperatures (sometimes experiencing -30 and wind chills as low as -70).  Often, our fair weather friends would want to know how we managed.  The answer is pretty simple – you stay out of the elements as much as possible and, if you have to be out, dress appropriately.  Coats, hats, gloves, thermals, and wind/moisture resistant clothes layered together can make you somewhat comfortable and might save your life.  Preparation before exposure to the elements made living in that part of the country manageable. How do successful Christians deal with sin ...

I have been a fan of the Denver Broncos since the mid-1980s.  In fact, for about a dozen years in a row I attended one Broncos home game a year with a few of my buddies.  On the surface that might not sound like much until you factor in two things:  We were not season ticket holders which meant that the price we paid for our tickets was usually two to three times the face value.  Additionally, we lived over 500 miles from Mile High Stadium.  Since football is played in the autumn and winter, this trek made for some interesting travel (have you ever experienced an eastern Wyoming blizzard).   The reason I bring up this factoid is that I have given up on the NFL this year.  You can tell by the preceding information I was quite a fan, but this year, I’d had enough and after Week 3 I was done.  Several years of frustration with the players, the game and the league culminated in my decision.  I didn’t send a nasty letter to the League or cry...