Dear Cobham Park Church Family, Many years ago, I fell into a trap which keeps many pastors from being faithful to their call. No, I’m not talking about some spectacular moral failure or professional incompetence. Quite the opposite! This trap has more to do with too much of a good thing: I somehow began to… Read More »

“He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.” —Psalm 62:6 (ESV) Dear Cobham Park Church Family, I recently visited a small town nestled in the mountains southwest of Charlottesville. While on a walk there, I noticed that a homeowner’s fence had seen better days. It was weathered, tottering,… Read More »

“Here am I, and the children the LORD has given me. We are signs and symbols in Israel from the LORD Almighty…” —Isaiah 8:18 (NIV) Dear Cobham Park Church Family, I can’t help but notice the quality of a sign. This probably comes from my time designing and lettering signs as a young man, and… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, My little grandson loves to play with bubbles—not so much blowing them as popping them. Once a steady supply of soap bubbles is sent drifting through the air, my grandson excitedly chases them. He laughingly tries to catch, swat, or otherwise burst as many bubbles as possible! Did you know… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, January is half over and Christmas is receding in the rearview mirror. And yet, here I am still not done taking down and packing away all of our Christmas decorations. But I will say this: this chore has been far easier since I switched to an artificial Christmas tree. At… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, Late on the last night of November, I sat at home for a monthly ritual: under the yellow light of my desk lamp, I paid bills and balanced my checkbook. The Lord had blessed me with a specific bank account balance to work with, and I needed to wisely decide… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, I vacationed last month in North Carolina’s Outer Banks, where my family usually rents a house overlooking the beach. Sadly, it rained on my whole drive down and then intermittently for my first two days there. Skies were gray, the wind was cold, and my mood was dreary. On the… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, There once was a great chef. She’d worked at the same little restaurant for many years, and people would travel long distances for a taste of her cuisine. Her dedication and attention to detail made every dish a delectable masterpiece. For hours before and after meal times, the restaurant kitchen… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, I had ten family houseguests over for the Labor Day weekend. While hosting can be a lot of work, it was well worth it! My normally quiet house rang with laughter and animated conversation; many priceless memories were made. After church on that Sunday morning, I was the last to… Read More »

Dear Cobham Park Church Family, We all have ongoing thought-conversations that nobody else can hear. This inward whispering shapes who we are and what we do. Most of the time, our private thoughts help us to function rationally and plan for the future. But inward whispers can also go very wrong; I call them “wounding… Read More »