News & Posts
The Sad State of Portland
Portland. City of Roses. City of Protests. City of Empty Streets, empty sidewalks, empty storefronts. Here are my images from walking around a couple of blocks in the downtown central business district. This was the premier place to be. Full of shops, culture, unique...
Day 274 – Perseverance in Opposition
Thoughts and Reflections Today we read that every mission of God is going to experience opposition. The Jews are being ridiculed and attacked as they rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. The response is to pray to our God and set a guard as protection. Nehemiah shows that...
Day 273 – The Lord’s Work
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read the conclusion of Zechariah. There is a promise - on the day of the Lord he will redeem the earth. Those who have been under the heel of others will be vindicated. Everyone's deeds shall be known. Nehemiah does the Lord's work....
Day 272 – The Call of Nehemiah
Thoughts and Reflections Today we read about Jerusalem's restoration. Zechariah writes 500 years before Jesus comes, he tells us of mourning for "him whom they have pierced." Jesus was pierced on the cross for us. In Nehemiah, we see a third wave of the people's...
Day 271 – Israel’s Foreign Wives
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read Ezra returns to the Holy Land. When he returns he finds that many people have intermarried. The Lord warned the people about not marrying non-Jewish spouses. God's people were to be set apart and called to live differently. The...
Day 270 – God’s Favor with Ezra
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read Ezra is friends with Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. His blessings are not due to his own skill but because the hand of the Lord is upon him. Ezra proclaims the people should fast to humble themselves before God. He does not ask...
Day 269 – The Day of Small Things
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read that the temple rebuilding was stopped in Ezra 4 and started again in Ezra 5. Officials asked who gave them permission to do so. They forgot that Cyrus had sent the people back to the Holy Land with instructions. It is important...
Willamette Garage Food Carts
After years of an abandoned gas and service station, the old station was repurposed as a food cart destination in West Linn. Many great food carts, outdoor seating, and drinks are on site—a perfect gathering place for family and friends to enjoy a mix of cuisines....
Day 268 – Rebuilding the Temple
Thoughts and Reflection Today we read in Ezra that the temple was rebuilt in Jerusalem. The people remember and long for the previous temple that was once there under Solomon. The new temple is smaller than before. This is both positive and negative. The positive is...
Day 267 – Indifference and Apathy
Thoughts and Reflection Today we learn that Ezra fulfills the prophecy of Jeremiah. God allowed the people of Judah to go into exile not to destroy them but to reform them. They now have the ability to go home. The book of Haggai is only two chapters but there are...