Admittedly, prayer many times doesn't feel like an accomplishment, like you're actually doing anything. But we also must admit that our actions, in the long term, ultimately don't accomplish what we're after either. Both can feel futile, like you're investing too much energy into something that doesn't show real results. Perhaps then we need to …
Category: Quick Thoughts
The Point of Prayer, Part 1
We have a curious relationship with prayer. Historically we have acknowledged God in some fashion and thus our need to communicate with him. I'm sure the hallowed saints of the past were quite serious about the effectiveness of prayer, but what about us common folk? Do we really take it that seriously? In recent years, …
Sunday Session: Isaiah 66
Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one …
The Feedback Loop
I hate to speak ill of social media. It is after all how you got here, and the vehicle by which this post is delivered. There are many good voices out there who are trying to "redeem" this fledgling infrastructure, and in some respect I hope to be one of those. But in order to …
D.I.Y.
More than once in my church experience have I heard someone say something along these lines: "If I can just get my friend into church to hear the preacher, maybe they can get saved and I would have done what I was called to do." This idea came up in conversation with my wife and …
Not The Answer You Want
I apologize up-front about the ambiguity as I want to keep names and particulars out of the spotlight, but the story and bigger issues surrounding it are quite relevant. Some close friends of ours recently endured yet another criminal act against their family. This marks two events in two different homes within the same city. …
In The Moment
The old saying goes, "History repeats itself." The negative spin on that statement is also an oldie: "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Both statements certainly hold wisdom, but I would submit that forgetting our history, in an of itself, may be the bigger tragedy. As technological and social connections advance, …
A Gap Between Worlds
Despite varying opinions, the drive through central Virginia on I-81, particularly the stretch between Roanoke and Strasburg, is nothing short of stunning. On a clear day travelers are treated to a vibrant landscape framed by dotted hilltops to the west, which spring up suddenly and very near the roadway, then flow gently down to join …
Welcome!
Thank you for taking the time to visit "Each Step a Story". Technically this will be a blog site, but really I want it to become a little corner of the web where we can explore how God's story intersects with our story, and how the grand scheme actually matters to our frail plans. Speaking …
Each Step a Story 