Category Archives: On Faith

Often Mira, our son’s Doberman, picks up her bone and presents it us when we arrive home. In a previous blog I referred to this as dog evangelism. She has something she enjoys and happily shares it. But Mira has … Continue reading →

 Growing up on the Oregon coast, I did a lot of skim-boarding. When the last part of a wave slid over the sand in a thin sheet, I would throw down my board, run as hard as I could, plant … Continue reading →

Along with the Bible, I began reading Jack Kerouac, Ginsberg, and Samuel Beckett while in high school. For school I read some Hemmingway, Fitzgerald, and Joseph Conrad. Like a hyperactive child calmed by stimulants, I discovered that all these secular … Continue reading →

Today Teckla and I took Mira (our son’s doberman) up to Euphoria Ridge for a hike in the woods. Out of the car, Mira immediately took off up the trail, sniffing every tree and bush. By the time we had … Continue reading →

When I was in high school in the early seventies, two long- haired “hippies” in Coos Bay became Christians. Jim had often skipped school and spent the day drinking cherry wine in the Mingus Park. John was still having flashbacks … Continue reading →

Everyone gets tattoos for different reasons. Some get them to honor a loved one or even to honor God, others to indicate how many people they “capped” and which gang they joined. I want to avoid any broad or unfair … Continue reading →

I actually don’t know what living large means. I suspect it is not me letting my belt out. But I am sometimes puzzled and a little frustrated by those who feel that following Jesus requires some kind shrinking of one’s … Continue reading →

Son, The other day you said you were having a hard time “connecting with God”. Let me encourage you to give up trying “to connect” with God—for several reasons.  First, because God has called you to be a man of … Continue reading →

Introduction: To some extent, this essay is an adventure in self-understanding. It is not meant to persuade others to become Christians. If it does persuade others, that is fine—but many of my reasons for faith are not the kind that … Continue reading →