Before you read this post, you might want to check out a previous post on this site. If you don’t read that first, and your comments on this post reveal as much, I reserve the right to ignore you. Yeah. I’m that guy — the guy who frustrates a lot of church people becauseContinue reading “My two cents on the Duck Dynasty guy’s comments about gays”
Author Archives: temparbor
How I Suffer and Keep Trusting God
Someone struggling with serious health problems wrote to me today and said, “Dave, some of the stuff you’ve faced with your MS is horrific. How in the world do you keep trusting God and believing he loves you?” What a great question. With her permission I have reprinted my answer, below, because I wonder if itContinue reading “How I Suffer and Keep Trusting God”
What is Righteousness?
Yesterday one of Wildwind‘s small group leaders texted me asking if I wouldn’t mind explaining the Biblical understanding of righteousness. He said the word had, for him and his group members, a bit of a negative connotation. I’m not sure why this is, other than possibly its legalistic undertone and associations (conscious or not) withContinue reading “What is Righteousness?”
Dave’s #1 Rule for Living Well
A few years ago I was sitting in my office and began mulling over a personal financial issue. The more I mulled, the more upset I became. This turned into deep frustration, which quickly graduated to desperation laced with self-loathing. In the hysteria of the moment, I decided I had to quit my job rightContinue reading “Dave’s #1 Rule for Living Well”
What to do when you feel sad
Everybody has times when they feel blue, glum, sad, down-in-the-dumps, or bummed out. Many people refer to this as being “depressed,” but it’s not the same thing. Some depressed people, many of whom do not know they are depressed, may not feel sad at all, but rather angry, irritable, anxious, frustrated, numb, or other emotions.Continue reading “What to do when you feel sad”
How that wishy washy person might just be deep
It is easy to believe one thing passionately, to fight and die for that one thing, even. History is littered with the corpses of nameless people who believed one thing passionately enough to die for it. But it takes another breed of person entirely to passionately believe opposite things at the same time.That wishy washyContinue reading “How that wishy washy person might just be deep”
Self-protection kills intimacy
Intimacy and self-protection are mutually exclusive It has occurred to me recently how often my clients and parishioners are living in a defensive mode, trying to protect themselves from perceived attack/abuse by a loved one. This is a natural instinct, of course, but ironic, since self-protection kills intimacy. Intimacy comes from vulnerability, willingness to openContinue reading “Self-protection kills intimacy”
No New Posts Lately?
I know I haven’t posted in a while, and I am posting this just so you know I know. Sometimes when I have just a short observation I struggle with whether to post to this blog or to my Facebook page or to Twitter. I hope you’re following me on both of those as well!Continue reading “No New Posts Lately?”
God and Country
I don’t really believe in this idea of “God and country.” I think it’s actually harmful. (I figured I might as well go whole-hog today and alienate whatever Christians this will alienate.) Before you shut me down, unfriend me, and come to my house with a pitchfork, I hope you will hear me out. TheseContinue reading “God and Country”
Women who love men who won’t work
Note: Before reading this post, you might consider reading the one before it that deals directly with the issue of men who don’t work. One of the TV’s at the gym this morning was doing a feature on women who get involved with convicted serial killers and marry them after they go to jail. It turnsContinue reading “Women who love men who won’t work”
Temp Arbor 