Tag Archives: faith

I gave Jesus a ride to work (re-blog)

I gave Jesus a ride to work today.  When he got in my car he introduced himself as “Marcus” but I knew he was Jesus.  He told me he worked at 61st and Peoria selling cigarettes. I was on my way to work and saw him walking on the street in the cold.  I wasContinue reading “I gave Jesus a ride to work (re-blog)”

Good books entice you with the familiar and then pull your heart out.

When our youngest daughter was a toddler she LOVED the book Go Dog Go, by P. D. Eastman. She was content sitting in someone’s lap having the book read to her again, and again, and again, and again. The worrisome father in me was concerned that she loved the book for its humanist philosophies. ButContinue reading “Good books entice you with the familiar and then pull your heart out.”

Sins of disposition: Dark coffee, no cream, and a shot of affirmation

When I first started drinking coffee it costed about 30 cents a cup. Now I stop at the same Starbucks on my way to work each day to buy a small cup of coffee for almost two dollars. I keep thinking it will be worth it one day — the day the baristas (coffee servers)Continue reading “Sins of disposition: Dark coffee, no cream, and a shot of affirmation”

Church discipline: Our four heads were smacked together like Dominoes.

As an adult, my temptation is to be stiff and rational in my worship while inwardly judging the motives or sincerity of others who don’t worship the same as I do. (I’m great at judging others — it’s kind of a spiritual gift.) One of my brothers recently reminded me of worship times in ourContinue reading “Church discipline: Our four heads were smacked together like Dominoes.”

Why I still keep going to church

When I was a kid I loved going to church. I loved the candy they gave me in Sunday School and loved the high-tech demonstrations like chalk talks and flannel graphs. I loved potluck dinners and church picnics. I loved most of the people, even though some of them creeped me out at times. IContinue reading “Why I still keep going to church”

A lesson from MLK Jr: Do justice or be love?

The first time I was ever involved in any kind of protest was when I was a sophomore in college. Our dormitory was notorious for vandalism and that year it had escalated to such a degree that the director of campus housing made a drastic ruling: No current students living in the dormitory could returnContinue reading “A lesson from MLK Jr: Do justice or be love?”

The strength to get up: Lessons I’ve learned from sledding.

I love snow! When I was a kid we rode snowmobiles at an uncle’s farm one winter. I remember flying through the snow and hitting bumps that would knock whoever was in the back (usually me) into a drift, only to be found later when the person driving thought to turn around. For fun closerContinue reading “The strength to get up: Lessons I’ve learned from sledding.”

Blog on: Sunday rest on the worst of Mondays.

When I was in elementary school, Mom made the world’s best fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and gravy for Sunday lunch. After filling ourselves so full we could barely walk, we hung around the house for the rest of the day. We played quiet games and whacked each other with soft sticks, because if we wokeContinue reading “Blog on: Sunday rest on the worst of Mondays.”

The carnival ride: What vomiting on others taught me about grace.

One sunny summer day when I was about ten years old, my brother Spartacus, a neighbor kid, and I walked to the town carnival. Upon arrival we arm-wrestled to see who would choose the first ride. After great embarrassment on my part, it was decided that the first ride for all of us (unknowingly, theContinue reading “The carnival ride: What vomiting on others taught me about grace.”

Like a ten-year-old child, I want what I want when I want it.

When I was a kid I had a bit of a temper. Nothing extreme, just occasional outbursts of anger that I usually resolved by kicking a cat or banging my head against a wall. What initiated those ourbursts? Typically they were a by-product of either not getting my own way (I want what I wantContinue reading “Like a ten-year-old child, I want what I want when I want it.”

New Year’s Resolutioners beware: Don’t read today’s blog.

Even the good things I add to my schedule can potentially become time-suckers. Time-suckers are the things I waste time on — the things that after three hours I ask myself, “What have I done all day?” I’m not dissing rest; the Bible clearly emphasizes the importance of rest and Americans are often guilty ofContinue reading “New Year’s Resolutioners beware: Don’t read today’s blog.”

I can’t believe I’m arguing with a five-year-old about why kids cry.

I saw a big kid picking on a smaller kid a few days ago. Ironically, Big Kid had been crying just a few minutes earlier when someone else had whacked him. I thought it was a good time to have an adult conversation with Big Kid about his childish behavior. Me: “Why were you hittingContinue reading “I can’t believe I’m arguing with a five-year-old about why kids cry.”

Silly Sally and the tricycle: The long good-bye

Saying “good-bye” to relatives is awkward, especially if you like them. And the feeling after the good-bye is dull, almost numb, inside. When I was five years old, my mom, my three brothers, and I took a long trip to Rhode Island to see Mom’s relatives for an extended visit. It was a fun vacationContinue reading “Silly Sally and the tricycle: The long good-bye”

Sammy was whacking whoever got in his way and shouting “figgy pudding” loud and clear for all to hear.

The other day I observed a little five-year-old boy angrily strutting around the room with chest thrust out and fists clenched. While others were quietly playing Sammy (not his real name) was throwing toys, whacking who ever got in his way, and shouting “figgy pudding” (not his actual words) loud and clear for all toContinue reading “Sammy was whacking whoever got in his way and shouting “figgy pudding” loud and clear for all to hear.”

There’s nothing like having Baby Jesus jabbed up your nose to put you in the Christmas spirit.

When my brothers and I were kids there were two things we could always count on for Christmas: cologne and soap-on-a-rope from the Avon Lady (real name). The cool thing about cologne at age seven was the authentic artistic decanter it came in. My older brothers typically got cologne in guitar or car-shaped decanters, whileContinue reading “There’s nothing like having Baby Jesus jabbed up your nose to put you in the Christmas spirit.”

Big Ugly Truck Guy parked illegally in a mini-me lot.

Why does it matter to me where Big Ugly Truck Guy (his real name) parks? I typically stop at Starbucks 3-4 days a week on my way to work and purchase a tall (not the real size) dark roast coffee. “No room for cream and may I have a ‘stopper,’ please?” The barista (coffee person)Continue reading “Big Ugly Truck Guy parked illegally in a mini-me lot.”

Hey kid, Santa needs his coffee break! ~or~ The Care Bears smell like cigarettes.

For a short time in college, I had a job as a mall security cop.  This was a long time before mall cops rode Segways, so my job required a lot of walking in and out of corridors and was, essentially, pretty dull.  I was a small guy and security cop uniforms only came inContinue reading “Hey kid, Santa needs his coffee break! ~or~ The Care Bears smell like cigarettes.”

Two of them were knocked down on top of me, wedging me deep into the snow. King of the Mountain.

School cancellations for snow days seldom happened in northeast South Dakota in the 1960s. It wasn’t a full day, but actually more like an hour early dismissal. My three older brothers and I hiked the one-mile trek home in hip-deep snow. Us Roso boys were all about danger and peril so at a time whenContinue reading “Two of them were knocked down on top of me, wedging me deep into the snow. King of the Mountain.”

I gave Jesus a ride to work today. He told me he worked at 61st and Peoria selling cigarettes.

I gave Jesus a ride to work today.  When he got in my car he introduced himself as “Marcus” but I knew he was Jesus.  He told me he worked at 61st and Peoria selling cigarettes.  I was on my way to work and saw him walking on the street in the cold.  I wasContinue reading “I gave Jesus a ride to work today. He told me he worked at 61st and Peoria selling cigarettes.”