The Bright Side

One of the challenges I enjoy in my work is designing logos. I am honored when a client trusts me to create something that reflects what their business is about in a simple, recognizable icon that will be used for branding their product. The word "logos" comes from the greek word Λόγος meaning "word", "discourse" or "reason". This is the same word used by the Apostle John to describe Jesus Christ; "In the beginning was the word  and the word was with God and the word was God. The word  (logos)  became flesh and dwelt among us." (John 1:1). Over and over, Scripture depicts Jesus as the "image of the invisible God". A perfect replica, a precise copy, the exact representation of His being and in Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form (Colossians 1:15; 2:9). Phillip once asked, "when will we see the Father?", to which Jesus replied, "when you have seen Me, you have seen the Father". The Jew

Every weekday, I grumble at the construction blocking my way to and from work. It makes me late. It makes me grouchy. It makes me say things under my breath (and sometimes not) that I shouldn't. The light turns green but what's the point? No one can move. People start laying on their horns as it turns yellow, then red.... repeat. I look into the faces of my fellow commuters and see the so-called "3rd Street Improvement" brings out the worst in all of us. A few days ago, I decided to take a good look at what those no-good construction workers were actually doing. "What's in it for me?" I thought. Then I saw it. They were making a bike trail that will go under the highway. I had an instant flash back of the many times I crossed that intersection on my bicycle knowing that in a matter of time I would become road kill. "Wow", I thought with a smile, "that will make riding to work so much easier next summer... or the one after... or how

At the end of a recently completed CPR certification class, the instructor said, "with this training, you will now be held responsible if you are in a situation where medical assistance is needed and you do nothing." Suddenly I imagined coming upon one of the terrible scenes we had been discussing. I'm standing there with my hands in my pockets waiting for someone else to take action, knowing all the while exactly what needs to be done. Although it may seem like a no-brainer, it got me thinking about the responsibility that goes along with knowledge and how many of us try to blend in with the crowd when we are equipped to make a difference. Interestingly, new data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows that in 2010, only 27.3 percent of college graduates actually held jobs that were related to their majors. Why would we do that? Why would we go through the time, expense and effort of learning something without putting it to use? I submit that we all a

Two months after the weddings of my two children, I enjoy wallowing in the memories daily. The tradition in our country of the bride taking the name of her husband is rooted in Scripture and beautifully symbolic. By changing her name to his, she proclaims that she belongs to him, that she has left her father and mother and has placed her life into the hands of a man to whom she has been given the privilege of “help mate” which God ordained from the beginning (Genesis 2:18). As Eve was presented by God to her husband Adam, the bride is presented to the groom by her father. God calls His Son, Jesus Christ, the “Bridegroom” and His church the “Bride of Christ”. His followers gladly identify themselves with Him. Just as a wife proudly bears her new name, we place our very identity in the name of Jesus Christ, Who is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18). We (his Bride) trust His guidance and the faithfulness of His promises. In the same way, man is to be the head of the home. The

The woman sitting in front of me was skin and bones. From the back I estimated her to be in her eighties and quite frail. She sat in a barely held together lawn chair that had RYAN hand written on the back of it in large letters. I wondered if she knew Ryan or had picked it up at a garage sale. The band played country folk style as more and more people gathered. I sat on the curb of the sidewalk listening… and watching. Watching small children in strollers with plastic sunglasses, old men with gray beards and beer bellies get in line for their favorite brew, teenagers masterfully dancing with bright hula-hoops. Those have been around forever, I thought, secretly wishing I had invented them. Interesting how things that seemed to become extinct as some point are now reappearing. Some things. Not everything. I contrasted my etch-a-sketch, (which I played with constantly) with the Apple laptop I’m using this very moment. People were huddling together in the shade trying to escape

When my sister told me she was going to “dead head” I was confused. Ruling out the possibility of attending a  Grateful Dead concert, I had to ask what that meant. She explained that dead heading is a process of removing dead flowers from plants to encourage new blooms. Made sense, I do that on a regular basis (but didn’t know the technical term). The same process is used when trees cease to produce fruit; the gardener prunes the non-producing limbs to stimulate new growth. Jesus’ parables often involved agricultural references, since His audience was very familiar with planting, farming, and gardening. For example, He referred to Himself as the Vine, those who followed Him as the branches, and His Father as the Gardner. He stressed the importance of staying in relationship with Him because only branches that remain in the Vine are capable of producing fruit. No branch can bear fruit once it is cut off (John 15:5). The very fact that He commanded “remain in Me” indicates that it i

This morning while re-arranging things on the coffee table, I heard my cat violently scrambling behind me. I turned to find her fervently chasing the reflection of a glass I had picked up. The sun hit it just right and she couldn't resist throwing herself into the wall to capture the uncapturable! For further enticement, I grabbed the laser pointer. Not knowing that I was the one in control of the little red dot, she would wear herself out for as long as I wanted to be entertained. How many things do we chase after every day, attempting to resolve the unresolvable? Have you ever wondered who is actually controlling that little red dot that we can't seem to resist? King Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man who ever lived - wrote "Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." (Ecclesiastes 2:11). I know this is not exactly an up-lifting thoug

My dad was an excellent photographer. He almost always had a camera with him and as soon as I saw it, I would look for a place to hide. In frustration, he would have to search for me to take family photos. He always found me though - and trying to avoid his camera was never worth his wrath. Even to this day I avoid having my picture taken because of my insecurities. Adam and Eve disobeyed God by giving into temptation. Their Father went into the garden calling Adam by name. But they were hiding from Him. Think about that. Hiding from God! Of course, the Lord knew where they were. When He asked them about their sin, He was giving them opportunity to confess and repent. Adam admitted that they were hiding because they were ashamed. Sin brought shame. Shame gave them an awareness of their nakedness, so they attempted to cover themselves. But God graciously provided His own covering for them - not with fig leaves but with animal skins requiring a blood sacrifice – the giving of a lif

This morning I awoke to the sound of birds loudly singing outside my window. As I lay there listening, I challenged myself to identify different species. It almost sounded as though the swallows and robins were competing against magpies. Suddenly it occurred to me that it is Palm Sunday - the day commemorating Jesus’ triumphal entrance into the city of Jerusalem in fulfillment Zechariah's prophecy: “The Coming of Zion’s King – See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”. This proclamation as King of Israel angered the Sanhedrin, who viewed it as blasphemy (which in fact it would have been, had Jesus not been the long awaited Messiah as He claimed). And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:37-40). Why would the stones cry out? Because all of creation will praise Him and no

Here's a fun fact: we learn most when in the midst of trials. Should that come as a surprise? Not all at. The Apostle Paul requested three times that God remove his infirmities but God responded each time, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness". Why did the Apostle petition not once but three times? My guess is that Paul was convinced that he could better serve the Lord without the pesky hindrance of his flesh. The Lord finally got His point across to which the Apostle added, "So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me". (1 Corinthians 12:9). I found myself reluctantly asking for help when I broke my leg. And it was in my need (weakness) that God gave me a fresh look at the hearts of friends, coworkers, and neighbors who gave me rides to and from work, the doctor, the grocery store, you name it. I will forever treasure those who helped me during that time. Linda, for instance, came to pick

Having a broken leg has been a new experience for me. I will never look at people with crutches the same. As common as it is, I had never broken a limb before (only ribs), so I had never been in a cast. It happened in Mexico on February 14. I was attempting to body surf in a very powerful wave - timed it wrong - got caught in it ( rather than on top of it), twisting inside-out like a pretzel. My foot went backwards just before I was slammed down to the ocean floor. I came home the next day and was put in a cast. Determined to keep my busy schedule, I went to a friend's concert on a snowy night the following week. The floor was slippery and... you guessed it... my crutch went out from under me on the same side as my broken leg. Even in with the cast, I managed to "displace" (doctor's term) the bone further. Viewing the x-rays, the Orthopedic Surgeon said if it moves any further he will have to "rebreak" it in order to it to heal correctly. The very thought o

Have you ever been in a situation where you're applying for a loan or credit card and you're turned down because of bad credit? It's humiliating because they are saying in essence, "we can't take the risk with you because you're not trust worthy". It doesn't make good business sense to invest in someone if they have not been able to faithfully repay past debts. I have been embarking on the difficult task of paying off all debt. But it's a slow process that requires much discipline. As my financial advisor put it "you must put yourself in financial prison". What if God's decision to put a deposit of grace into our spiritual bank account was based on our past? Or even based on the present? What if He said "hmmm, I can see from the past you've refused to forgive others, have never helped the poor, have never gone to the church, have cursed, have stolen..." (the list goes on), "and now you come to Me for a grace

It was one of the most relaxing moments in my life. Lounging near a pool with my sister in the warm sunshine of Mexico. She brought a stack of magazines. I thumbed through one that was filled with how-to instructions on upping the charm of outdated homes. Some of the ideas were as simple as fresh coats of bright colors of paint that would serve to compliment the personality of the architecture and others involved total remodeling. Being the creative type, my mind began whirling with excitement. It wasn't just the decorative inspiration that spurred my emotions, but the idea of newness - (or the appearance thereof). Having recently begun a new chapter of life, there's a deep desire to experience such an improvement inside (renovation of character) and  out (fresh paint). "Yes", I thought to myself, "this aging house could definitely use a new look". Admittedly, it's much easier to throw on a new color and ignore the broken down emotions. In fact, I be