Good morning! May you notice the mercy that is new every morning. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer composed a number of talking points to refute what was known as the “Aryan Paragraph” in September of 1933. The paragraph excluded non-Aryans from civil service which was beginning to be adopted by German churches.

Currently reading: The Bonhoeffer Reader by Michael P. DeJonge 📚

The German Christians say: The church is not allowed to undo or to disregard God’s orders, and race is one of them, so the church must be racially constituted. We answer: The given order of race is misjudged just as little as that of gender, status in society, etc. . . . In the church, a Jew is still a Jew, a Gentile a Gentile, a man a man, a capitalist a capitalist, etc., etc. But God calls and gathers them all together into one people, the people of God, the church, and they all belong to it in the same way, one with another. The church is not a community of people who are all the same but precisely one of people foreign to one another who are called by God’s Word. The people of God is an order over and above all other orders. “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers? . . . whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” [Matt. 12:48, 50]. Race and blood are one order among those who enter into the church, but it must never become a criterion for belonging to the church; the only criterion is the Word of God and faith. &10; &10;DeJonge, Michael P.; Green, Clifford J.. The Bonhoeffer Reader (Function). Kindle Edition.

Good morning! May you love well today. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

Good morning! May you embrace whatever twist comes at you today. #Discipline2025 #MorningMug

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Good morning! May you find gratitude in the midst of community today. #Discipline2025

A cozy living room scene features a hand holding a mug in front of a lit fireplace.

Good morning! May you find your chill today. #Discipline2025

A hand holds a coffee mug in a cozy living room with a fireplace, chair, and sofas.

Good morning. Remember, it’s ok to be quiet. #Discipline2025

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Good morning! May you remember that you get to choose your hard today. #Discipline2025

A mug labeled "AROHA" is held up in front of a window, overlooking a suburban backyard with a sunrise.

Good morning! May you not despise the day of small things. #Discipline2025

A barbell with attached weights rests on a speckled gym floor, viewed from above with a person's feet in athletic shoes visible at the bottom.

I love this little coffee shop in Flushing, MI. It’s called The Station. It is in a renovated service station. The coffee is good, the people are fantastic, and the playlist is always on point.

A laptop displaying a text document is placed on a metal table beside a black travel mug, with large windows and a door in the background.

Jesus in Conversation: A Preface

a coffee mug that says, conversations on a table. The image is captioned with Conversations with Jesus

For a while I have been wrestling with what to write about. I have been wondering if I should just focus on keeping up with the brief daily devotionals or perhaps offering commentary on the news of the day from a pastor’s perspective. As I wandered around the internet, there’s a lot of that going on already. Sure, my “unique” voice would be different, but in so many ways, it feels like I would just be adding to the noise.

Good morning! May you find joy in the small things today. #Discipline2025

A plate with a partially eaten omelette topped with spinach and hot sauce is next to a black tumbler on a dark wooden table.

Not much better than a game at Crisler Arena with good friends!

A large indoor arena is filled with spectators watching a basketball game.A basketball game is taking place in an arena with players in action and spectators watching.

Good morning! May you find freedom in self-discipline today. #Discipline2025

A cozy living room scene shows a person holding a yellow mug with a floral design and "joy" written on it, in front of a fireplace with a warm fire burning.

Good morning! May you connect in community today. #Discipline2024

Good morning! May you choose to do something that brings your mind, body, or soul rest today. #Doscipline2025

A person holds a cup of coffee in front of a scenic view of the ocean, trees, and a parking area with several cars under a partly cloudy sky.

Good morning! May you remember that there is good happening all around you if you choose to look for it. #Discipline2025

A hand holds a coffee mug indoors, overlooking a coastal landscape with parked cars, greenery, and a cloudy sky.

Good morning! May you check something off your to-do list that will help you relax as you head into the weekend. #Discipline2025

A hand holds a white coffee mug in front of a window with a view of the ocean and parked cars.

Even on vacation, the lift happens. #Discipline2025

A pair of black dumbbells rests on a speckled gym floor near someone's feet wearing blue and gray athletic shoes.

Good morning! May you find joy in your day today. #discipline2025

A person holds a coffee mug in front of a window with a view of parked cars, trees, and the ocean in the distance.

Good morning! May you extend loving kindness in a world where that’s starving for it. #discipline2025

A person is sitting on a couch covered with a colorful blanket, holding a cup, in a living room with a fireplace and patterned armchair.

Good morning! May you extend kindness today. #Discipline2025

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Good morning! May you choose to be kind to yourself today. #Discipline2025

A cozy living room features a lit fireplace, a mug of coffee in the foreground, and seating in soft lighting.

Saturday is for coffee by the fire. May you find some rest today. #Discipline2025

A hand is holding a mug labeled "AROHA" in a cozy living room with a lit fireplace and a TV in the background.

Good morning! May you find mercy when you need it today. #Discipline2025

A pair of dumbbells is placed on a speckled gym floor next to someone's feet wearing sneakers.