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For several years I frequented the Tower Thistle
Hotel in London. The proximity of the hotel made it very convenient
for regular business meetings. The property is situated on the Thames
River beside the Tower Bridge. Without exception I found myself
spellbound as I walked into the hotel....
The leprous person who has the disease shall
wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall
cover his upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, unclean." He shall remain
unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live
alone. His dwelling...
It had simply been “one of those nights” for
Simon. And now, he was cleaning the nets, which was the final piece of
work for the day. And as he cleaned, he thought, “Was it the wrong
location?” “Was the sea too rough?”
It had been a hard night, and while Simon wasn’t
afraid of...
Nearly every day an endorsement with some political significance rips
across the headlines of the news. Local newspapers, previously
important political figures, celebrities, and the casualties of the
current political marathon throw their influence, reputation and clout
behind a candidate...
I received a Moleskine for Christmas. It’s a black notebook that is
manufactured by an Italian company with the same name. It is distinct
because of the elastic band that keeps the notebook closed, and the
binding that enables it to lay flat. Basically, my kids tell me that
it’s the...
I would guess that in households across America, the holiday season
gave ample time for some healthy, and perhaps redundant, reminiscing
about events of significance, entertainment and enjoyment in the life
of the family. That was the case in our household. In fact, the
sharing tended to...
Have you ever walked past an open fire that wasn’t yours? I mean you
didn’t build it, you aren’t tending it, you weren’t involved in
providing the necessary fuel to ignite or sustain it… but you walked by
it, and when you did, you instantly felt the heat that it produced.
You may or may...
It started with a pager. I was a part of a
technology organization and we were the “lucky few” that
received the device. While it did its job for my professional
commitment, it also provided a wonderful platform for connection to my
family. We developed a family-specific,...
Sixty-six years ago the world was rocked by an attack
on Pearl Harbor. In fact, it prompted President Roosevelt to deliver
his famous six and a half minute speech that declared that December 7, 1941
would be “a date that would live in infamy.” The desire
of the President was to stir the...
And while they were there, the time came for her
baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him
snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no
lodging available for them. ~ Luke 2:6, 7 (NLT) Yes, Chrissy Wolgemuth, our daughter-in-law,...
Our Thanksgiving dinner ended with a time of reflection, praise and gratitude. Ten of us total, and the words came with a deep sense of appreciation, emotion and introspection. Kevin, a family friend that had joined our clan for the day with his wife, Karen, delivered a profound and powerful...
A river watered the garden and then flowed out of Eden and divided into
four branches. The first branch, called the Pishon, flowed around the
entire land of Havilah, where gold is found. The gold of that land is
exceptionally pure; aromatic resin and onyx stone are also found there.
~...
Calloused hands across calloused feet transformed a calloused heart. This was the pure essence of the story that Scott shared. Last summer, in the classic heat and humidity of New Orleans, a high school strength coach joined a Youth for Christ trip to Louisiana. Doug was tough, inside and...
“God Hates You.” A photograph in the USA Today showed a placard with
these words. It was being carried by the picketing members of the
Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. The story was birthed when the church was sued by the father of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, who lost his life...
It happens every October. Some know it as the Fall Classic.
Officially, it is the World Series, the baseball contest that
determines the best in professional baseball. The first team to win
four games is crowned the World Champion. Frankly, the series has always captured my attention, but...
The balance in my checking account is radically different than I
expected. A couple of days ago I transferred some of our savings in
order to cover the cost of Alli’s final semester of college. But when I
pulled up my account on-line, it showed the balance from the day
before. On closer...
I caught her glance from across the room. Mary and I have found
ourselves in these situations many times over the past two and a half
years. We’re in the same room, just separated by significant and
important conversations with old and new friends. We’ve gone entire
evenings without...
Have you ever wondered if God is ready to change his public relations
firm ? It just seems to me that God is taking it in the chops these
days in the press. There are so many stories of people that claim to
be followers of Christ who fail and fall with a nationally and locally...
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on
the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the
schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood,
but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic
powers over this...
And he said, "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how.” (Mark 4:26-27) There is no formula to create a transformed life. The precision of God’s surgery is as dynamic...
Northwest of our home in Aurora, Colorado, is Buckley Air Force Base.
From the runways at Buckley, the Air Force launches F-16 fighter planes
on a regular basis. Frequently their departure route takes them right
through the air space over my home… at least that’s what I assume. Typically,...
Terry and Marion Jones were lost. Their story splashed across the
pages of the Denver Post and over the radio airwaves this week. The
couple had started a routine camping adventure in the Rocky Mountain
National Park, but a wrong turn had incrementally taken them to a
location that...
Selah… This Hebrew word appears seventy times in the book of Psalms, and
although there is some debate about the precise meaning, it’s
universally agreed that the term applies the musical construct of this
poetic masterpiece. It’s believed that it invites an interlude or
pause in the...
The verdict hasn’t been completely established at this point, but it
seems that some combination of weight and weakness proved lethal in
downtown Minneapolis. The bridge over the Mississippi River fractured
when a point of failure and vulnerability was exposed . Undoubtedly it will take...
Wednesday was towel exchange day at Crooked Creek camp in Frasier,
Colorado. 425 campers were encouraged to meet at the center circle of
camp and trade the towel and wash cloth that they had been using for
three days, for clean, dry and neatly folded replacements. As high school students...
What was Jesus like? What terms or characteristics capture His essence? My journey through the four gospels has ushered in a fresh perspective
and a growing appreciation for the breadth of character and skill.
Yes, Jesus is holy, just, forgiving, powerful, loving, compassionate,
faithful,...
The Friday Fragment that I wrote last week relayed an encounter that I
had on a flight to Chicago sitting next to a four-year-old girl by the
name of Zion. I described her in the following terms: “She was
disarming, bold, unafraid, and sweet.” So you’ll understand the
complete recoil I...
This morning I was on a very early Southwest flight out of Denver, and fortunately, I was in the “A” line for seat selection. This is critical to ensure an appropriate aisle seat with adequate overhead bin space. A small group of “Pre-Boards” had filed into the Boeing 737 and it was now my...
I’ve had a perfect view of the fabulous Colorado sunsets over the past
couple of weeks. They’ve been breathtaking and dramatic. As darkness
creeps across the landscape, the remaining sunshine leverages the
evening conditions to explode color through the evening sky. The
mountains of the...
She had lived with the shame. She had spent all she had. She had
consulted every expert she could… and now she was broke and broken.
Answerless. Rejected. For 12 incredible years. She knew the pointed and specific words of Leviticus 15:25 that declared that “all of the days that she...
David, Jenny and Michael Wraight are looking quite green this morning!
David is the President of Youth for Christ International, and just
under two weeks ago we asked him to join our regularly scheduled
Monday prayer call. This is a conference call held every Monday at 9
am Mountain Time...
Did you know that King David had the opportunity to square off with giants on multiple occasions? While the sling wielding encounter with the “trash talking” enemy described in I Samuel 17 gets the bulk of the sermon headings, there were others that confronted the king throughout his life. In...
He’s got 48 titles listed on Amazon.com and he lives a life that illustrates why. Dr. Warren Wiersbe is an amazing man, and last weekend I met him for the first time at a Youth for Christ Alumni Fellowship event in Winona Lake, Indiana. He was there to open the Word for us. To teach and...
“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And likewise the cup after they had eaten…” ~ Luke 22:19b-20a
It had been an incredible run. Jesus and twelve men. The
experiences, pain, disappointment, buffet dinners, victory,
rejection. “God with us” had...
I was four miles from help when I had my first flat tire on my road
bike. I had no spare parts and no tools to even attempt to repair the
damage… and so I walked and pushed until a kind-hearted older man came
to my rescue. That very day I purchased a tire repair kit that I
placed it in a...
For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away… For now we see
in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I
shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:9-12 (ESV) For several hours...
When I stepped into the back of the training room I could feel the conflicting tension of exhaustion and energy. The group of students, “teachers in training,” had been intensely immersed for several days, not counting the days of preparation, and as they took turn leading the group, you could...
“Mr. Wolgemuth!” The words cut across the open spaces in the airport terminal and grabbed my attention as if someone had grabbed me by the shoulder. I was on my way to the airport security line, mind drifting, legs engaged… but there was something about my name, perfectly pronounced, that...
It was Tuesday that I took Mary to the airport for a 19-day journey to Europe. After an overnight flight, she connected with our daughter, Alli, at Heathrow Airport in London, at the conclusion of Alli’s 12-week semester of college study in Tanzania. Once I returned to our house,...
Are Christians supposed to have all the answers? Is it okay to admit that even though we are followers of the living God that sometimes we can’t understand what’s going on… or why? Sometimes we feel like it’s our job to fill the silence of an unanswered question with religious clichés… but I’m...
My mother used to have this hammer thing… wooden handle and a head with
a waffle-like surface. She used it often and well to pulverize some
inexpensive cut of meat into something edible. It worked. No sharp
knives required. The process: blunt, intentional and focused transformed tough...
I was awakened midway through my night of
sleep, as I often am now that I’m north of fifty years
old. It took a few moments to acclimate… a hotel room
does that to me. When I crawled back into bed, my body...
The San Joaquin Valley is a volcano of green; an explosion of some of the most productive farmland in the world. For the past few days I’ve ridden across and flown over this incredible piece of California geography. Grape, almond, carrot, citrus and cotton fields by the miles crisscross...
He actually did it. The woman in 1C moved to the front of the airplane where she lingered for a few moments too long. The flight attendant insisted that she return to her seat, and as if a trigger had been pulled, she spouted terse, inflammatory and dismissive language at him while she...
We had planned on a quick stop. Just a trip to the Religion section of
our local Border’s Bookstore to check on a title. When I opened the
front door of the store I was swamped with a wave of live music. A
table to my right revealed the name of the group and the available CDs,
but that...
Not you… Not for me…
Last night was an extraordinary night. After most of the offices had
emptied, a group of Youth for Christ staff and board members from
around the world gathered in a conference room for dinner. The
individual conversations that took place around two large tables...
Dear June,
It’s March 1st and I couldn’t let the day go by without saying thanks to you for your incredible service to the ministry of Youth for Christ. After all, this is your 53rd
anniversary with the organization. You know more about this organization than any person ever has. You...
Clint Bowyer is not a household name
for most individuals, but last Sunday he exploded onto television screens
across the country. Bowyer is a 27-year-old from Emporia, KS that
drives on the NASCAR circuit.
Last Sunday, at one of the most prestigious NASCAR
venues, Clint Bowyer...
Space travel in the late 60s made nearly everyone an
explorer. It was the origin of reality television. Brave
astronauts, uncharted territory, and live unfolding mystery. We, the
general population, hung on the images that raced through time and space to
magically appear with...
Almost every morning in the office I see a lineup of mugs with hot water in them. This very serious stretch of winter has impacted the temperatures in our kitchen cabinets and consequently the temperature of every mug stored in them. It can be a bit disconcerting to pour a cup of hot coffee or...
$75 million. That’s what the Denver Post reported that the leading presidential candidates would be working to raise and spend before the national conventions next summer. The announcements of the candidates were timed to optimally facilitate the cultivation of these funds. ...
I knew it was going to be a long shot, but my heart was still engaged in hope. I raced through the jet way as quickly as possible to get a glimpse at the “Departures Board.” A flight to Denver wasn’t even on the board… not mine, and nobody else. I was stuck at Dulles Airport in Washington, DC...
“Dad, it’s Alli. I’m working on the
home computer and for some reason the keyboard stopped working.
I’ve tried a bunch of stuff. The mouse still works, but I
can’t type. I unplugged the keyboard from the back of the
computer and plugged it back in, but that didn’t make any
difference....
The semi-trucks were lined up; poised, positioned and
powerless. Most of the rigs were loaded with thousands of pounds of
cargo. The powerful diesel engines idled, but without effect.
The white flags of submission were
out. An examination of the situation revealed that the victor,
the...
Mary knows that it’s just a matter of days until our family is together for Christmas. It’s almost like a fuse has been lit, or a countdown got started, and here we are, days away from trips to Denver International Airport to welcome, and just hours away from a 1999 gray Saturn...
In the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” Dorothy, the star of
the show, makes a comment to her loyal pet that goes something like this:
“Toto, we’re not in Kansas any
more.” While the facts of the statement were
indisputably true, there was an implied...
It was a great Christmas party. Our national staff and several local staff members who were in Denver for training and vision casting joined together for a time of celebration. After everyone had left, Mary and I were cleaning up a few final dishes in the kitchen and I offered to clean the two...
Last weekend, as I sat and watched several unfolding news stories, I was drawn to the continual, and in some cases, escalating violence in Iraq. Like you, I viewed the images with disbelief and horror. The pictures included vehicles in the streets that look like automotive skeletons and the...
The crush of Christmas advertising and promotion is here. After all, it is Thanksgiving! I have a suggestion, it’s really a gift idea. I’m actually suggesting that you start giving it at Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. This gift is never the wrong size, color or design....
The race is on. In nearly every situation that I find myself, there is a rush, a press, a blitz. Face it, we’re an agenda-driven and a schedule-controlled people. Ask a friend how they’re doing and most will respond with some variation of busy, or even frantic. We live in a...
Devour. To swallow up, destroy.
It’s a very short agenda. But don’t be fooled, it’s a focused agenda.
Your adversary the devil… ~ 1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) is looking for every way, in every place, with whatever means, to destroy you. He’s really,...
And they were
astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things
well.” ~ Mark 7:37
And immediately
all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him
and greeted him. ~ Mark 9:15
And he got into...
I’m just a few hours from walking back into my house
after being on the road for several days. When that happens, when I
walk from the garage into the laundry room, I am greeted with a
smell. It’s the smell of our
home. It’s familiar and comforting.
It’s an...
When Rick stepped uncomfortably to the microphone on
Tuesday night, I thought I knew what he might say. But I wildly
underestimated what was about to unfold. This story threw a lasso
around every painful moment that the individuals in the room had
experienced and drew it...
“…he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.” ~ Matthew 5:45 (NLT)
With the baseball playoffs in full swing, so is the analysis, critique and dissection of every batter, pitcher and situation. As I watched a batter/pitcher match-up, I heard a commentator describe...
It was a parade of black. Stoic and resolute, the Lancaster County, PA Amish community moved down the funeral route in a procession of horse drawn buggies. Evil had assaulted what tradition had protected. Yet history will never appropriately reflect the victor in this confrontation. It was...
The serenity of a small mountain community was replaced on Wednesday with the horror and fear of violence and uncertainty. The town of Bailey, Colorado, which is located just west of Denver, was rocked by the invasion of a single gunman who marched into Platte Canyon High School and took...
It was the 17th of September, a crisp, clear, brilliant
Denver day… and we were driving north toward Colorado Community
Church. It was good to be home, and there was something fresh and
beautiful about the morning. Unrestricted views are the
byproduct of the high desert that...
Over the past seventeen months I have witnessed many
airport reunions. I’ve seen signs, balloons,
matching clothing, flowers and many other variations in between.
I’ve watched the anticipation. I’ve even, on occasion,
felt the flood of emotion splash over me as I’ve...
It was a blackness that made even the possibility of
vision out of the question. We were in the bowels of the earth,
exploring Mammoth Cave, and although it was many years ago, I still
remember the feeling when the guide extinguished every light in the
cave. The darkness was suffocating....
It was a steady stream of family members that wanted time to share. The evening celebration had been a windstorm of emotion, affirmation, and thanksgiving. So when the opportunity presented itself to expose a personal reflection, many stepped forward. August 30, 2006 was not a celebration of...
My score was a 64… and I was elated. On a beautiful Monday afternoon, I played golf as part of the Denver Youth for Christ annual outing. The course was perfectly manicured and equally challenging. What made the day, and more specifically, the score of 8 under par possible, was...
On Tuesday night of this past week I fulfilled a baseball
“to do” on my list of parks to visit… Yankee
Stadium. What a blast. As we crossed the 161st Street
bridge and approached the stadium, I noticed a small, open and grass
covered area just adjacent to the...
Compassion is inconvenient and often
intrusive. It lays claim to our attention and engages our
heart. It suggests, in unavoidable terms, that we get involved.
It climbs the sharp cliffs of selflessness. This is the pattern of Jesus , and it was
often demonstrated at...
Mary and I have known each other for over thirty-one years , twenty-eight of which we’ve been married. I’m sure that I know her better than anyone else in the world, but this week she showed me more. Several weeks ago Mary was asked to join the prayer
team for our YFCamp program that was...
I love my
friends .
In fact, last weekend I spent time with some of my closest and most
faithful friends… many of whom are family as well. These
individuals are loyal, wise, and trusted. They know my weaknesses
and strengths. ...
Kendal Brooke Emery. That’s the name that Marc and Jill gave
their newborn daughter in July of 1984 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Since
that moment in time Kendal has grown, explored, learned and dreamed. In
fact, she has developed into a beautiful young woman that God has, and
is using . At...
Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart...
In his powerful personal story, "Night," Elie Wiesel — internationally
known author, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor — describes the
journey of his soul as he witnessed the brutality of human against
human during World War II. The horror expunged the spiritual
sensitivity...
If it had been me, if I had been running with Jesus, if my life had overlapped with His, what, just what would I ask Him to teach me?
If I had seen what His closest followers had seen, if I had experienced the power and emotion that they had experienced, what would I have...
As summer approaches, so do the dark afternoon storm clouds that seem
to descend from the Rocky Mountains by late afternoon. Watching these
clouds predictably creep out of the foothills and into the plains of
Colorado is a daily expectation. Considering the fact that our winter
and spring...
My one real exercise passion is road biking. Consequently, our move to
Denver was great at feeding this desire. The paved trails that
crisscross the city are outstanding. Specifically, the South Platte
River Trail is a favorite. It snakes along with the flow of the river
all the way to...
"Can we talk?”
This functional request, i.e. can we speak with each other, is anything
but functional. It’s relational. It’s a boarding pass to a
conversational journey. Those three single-syllable words are literally the tip of the communication iceberg. They prime the pump to a...
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