In Barnabas we talk a lot about stopping the cycle; stop the cycle of abuse, stop the cycle of rage, stop the cycle of passiveness, stop the cycle of family secrets. Today I challenge you to keep the cycle going; the cycle of special memories and cherished experiences. When I
“Flight 1296 to Dallas is now boarding at gate six.†Little did I know that twenty two years ago today those words would be the beginning of a brand new life. On July 10, 1990 Anne Broyles and I boarded a plane with two small children, Eva and Ricardo Cervantes.
Dear Lord, we want You to find a yielded and quiet spirit within us. To make that happen, we need You to come in like a flood. Occupy us like water filling empty spaces. Occupy reserved portions of our lives where anger is festering and the secret places where grudges
In Barnabas, we talk about “The Imposter.” Richard Rohr captures the real meaning of “imposter” as he relates this false self to our :shadow Self.” Many of us have fallen into the trap of believing our shadow (false self, ego, imposter…) and we have paid dearly for buying into the
Remind me that failure is the experience that precedes triumph. Teach me that forgiving is most important in the strong and that revenge is the most primitive sign in the weak. If you take away my success, let me keep my strength to succeed from failure. If I fail people,
Following Jesus means letting go of our judgments, embracing humility and our humanity in order to see through the eyes of God’s love. Humanity around and within It’s a slippery slope, letting go of the lines that divide, seeing people different from yourself as human. Let the walls that make
I read this quote this morning and felt very proud of America’s history. I read it again this afternoon and thought about the Kingdom of God opening its gates and saying… “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free… Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to
Today is my son Ricardo’s birthday. I just wanted someone to know. You see I love him so much it hurts. He is my hero and in his presence I experience the unlimited depth of God’s love. Ricardo is not “normal†by the world’s standard and most people have no
In our world of labels that divide us: Democrat-Republican, Liberal-Conservative, Black- Hispanic-White, Baptist-Methodist, Rich-Poor, we would all change for the better if we began to live “working on behalf of a God that chose justice and mercy and compassion to the most vulnerable.” “As I travel across the country folks
I read a quote this morning from William James that said, “Truth Wins.†As we wind down our series with Parker Palmer, I couldn’t help but think about his call to live an “undivided life.†His bottom line, expressed beautifully in “Let Your Life Speak,†is simply to tell the
