News & Updates

My glasses broke last week.  With no warning nor neglect on my part, the right arm of my spectacles simply fell off.  I assumed I could quickly get my frames fixed at my local optometry office. Nope.  Eye frames are discontinued every 1-2 years, and my prescription lens would not fit any current frames.  My cynical olfactory sensed a scam which my Visa card would minutes later confirm. In order to see again, I had to:  1) have an updated…

Last night was a long night.  Michael came home from school yesterday and suddenly turned sour.  He was siiiick.  Michael hugged porcelain most of the night.  Not even an ounce of Gatorade would remain in his quickly dehydrating 5th grade body. Of course, you do what you have to do as a parent.  We tried tea, ginger, peppermint candy, mint gum, ice, crackers, and the aforementioned power of Gatorade electrolytes.  Nothing.  This didn’t bode well for the dose of sleep…

I had a really great holiday season.  I enjoyed the music, the lights, the travel to Indiana, family, down time, giving, my wife & kids, and even the food which certainly removed years from my lifespan.  It just was all good.  I am a very blessed man. The upside of my holidays were nothing short of a “10” on the holiday happiness meter for this pastor.  I’m not sure my “10” is the real goal of Christmas, but it certainly…

The argument goes something like this:  If God is all knowing and knew that evil was going to happen before it happened, then he can’t be loving.  If God couldn’t stop the evil, he must not be all-powerful.  If he knew of the evil and had the ability to stop it and didn’t, then God cannot be loving.  Therefore, because evil does exist, God does not. These lines of thinking concerning evil can stir the mind and challenge the heart. …

Most of you know I try to take Friday’s off, but do you know my Friday routine? I usually take a quarter-mile walk down Barrett Parkway to the local Starbucks in the early morning.  I grab my tall, black coffee (no room) and head across the parking lot to Target.   I never buy anything, but I like to look.  You would think I would become a security risk as the cameras pick up the weird Friday morning routine of the…

Google “why is depression greater during Christmas,” and you’ll start to read some intriguing insights from counselors, pastors, and psychologists alike.  One writer commented:  “The reason behind the claim that depression rates and suicides rise during the holidays is that holiday cheer amplifies loneliness and hopelessness in people who have lost loved ones, or who have high expectations of renewed happiness during the holiday season, only to be disappointed. Others think the increase in anxiety and gloominess is caused by…

What determines if I’m influenced or distracted by something?  I had dried beef gravy and biscuits for supper one night this week.  Why?  Because mom made this same wonderful meal when I was growing up.  I was most definitely influenced. Recently I celebrated the survival of Grey Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday, and Weeping Wednesday.  Whew.  Was I influenced by savvy holiday marketing or distracted? Perhaps the deciding factor is if I’m choosing a better…

EPIC | “Fair-weather Followers” November 25, 2012 Joe Braun (Pastor of Community Groups) DISCUSSION QUESTIONS What is the condition of your yard? Is it just dry, hard dirt? Is there a ton of weeds and other junk growing in it? How many weeds are “too many?” If you care about the condition of your lawn, what has to be removed in order to make it healthy – and how hard are you willing to work at it? Read Mark 4:1-20…

For some reason, Jen and I breed kids who have bad ears, nose and throat problems.  Our son, Owen had to have tubes put in his ears and have his adenoids removed sometime earlier this year.  Selah, our daughter, we are trying to get in for tubes sometime in the next month or so because she has had eleven bad ear infections in the past year.  The slightest sneeze or shift of the wind causes her to get ear infections.…