Reflections

How many times have I read the passage of Jesus' first miracle and look at it solely as His first miraculous expression as God. But recently, I have discovered a richer, deeper meaning of what this story is. In April of 2012, Elizabeth & I had the opportunity to renew our wedding vows at the very location in Israel where this wedding feast happened. We had a feast in our hearts that day. We read the following scripture at the location. On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." And they...

Growing up, what boy didn't idolize John Wayne? He was the super western hero that walked with a swagger, communicated with authority, and always got his man! I think many of us grew up in that 1970's era trying to be the man he was. One of his famous quotes was "Never apologize, mister, it’s a sign of weakness.” Although he did seem to always get the bad guys, I think The Duke missed it on this one. Whether it's at the office or at home, the apology is probably one sign of truly being a man. Apologizing does demonstrate weakness, but, we are imperfect...right? Of course we are. I believe offering sincere apologies is somewhat like building bridges across the great chasms of relational controversy. It doesn't have to be just within marriage, I think it also applies to the workplace. Imagine an office with less controversy. I like that idea, don't you? Last April, I enjoyed a trip to Israel with Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, ...