by Chris Atkins | May 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
I have to admit it: I am a die-hard Minnesota Vikings football fan. Since their inception in the early 1960s, the Vikings have fielded some storied, amazing teams. They have been to the Superbowl 4 times—the last some 40 years ago—with no championships to show. They...
by Chris Atkins | May 14, 2020 | Uncategorized
These days of a viral pandemic have been a time of unsettling personal and global shaking. Throughout the world, people are severely shaken because of Covid-19, a highly contagious virus. Lives have been lost, people have been hospitalized or quarantined,...
by Chris Atkins | May 1, 2020 | Uncategorized
Have you ever relied on someone’s word or asked them to do something for you— only to later discover they let you down and weren’t worthy of your trust? When she was a teenager, my wife went on a church ski trip. Being new to skiing, Terese was only able to go on the...
by Chris Atkins | Apr 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
When I was just a toddler, my dad took our family of 8 to the lake home of his employer for a large company picnic. I don’t remember any of this, but I was told that while with a group of children who played near the shore of the lake, I ventured out onto the dock by...
by Chris Atkins | Mar 27, 2020 | Uncategorized
In every life, there are —or will be—times when the world is suddenly shaken, and we find ourselves vulnerable and afraid. It’s as if the ground beneath our life violently shifts, and the things we thought would keep us safe suddenly vanish. We long for refuge....
by Chris Atkins | Mar 10, 2020 | Uncategorized
In case you hadn’t figured this out already —and I suspect you already have—life is a mixed bag of sunny days and stormy ones, summer breezes and winter gales, peaceful times, and unsettling events. A sudden job loss, an unexpected phone call, a troubling doctor’s...
by Chris Atkins | Feb 19, 2020 | Uncategorized
What do you think of when you hear the words “pure gold”? Perhaps an expensive ring or necklace, or the bricks of the precious metal stored at Fort Knox come to mind. 24-carat gold is considered the “gold standard’ of purity for this precious metal. We’ve...
by Chris Atkins | Feb 3, 2020 | Uncategorized
Take a deep breath. Now take another. Keep breathing as you consider these facts: · An adult at rest breathes about 17,280 to 23,040 times a day at 12 to 16 breaths per minute. Adults breathe about 6.3 to 8.4 million breaths per year. ...
by Chris Atkins | Jan 13, 2020 | Uncategorized
Think for a moment about all the gifted athletes throughout the world who train every day for years with the goal of making it to the Olympics and winning the gold medal. Their motivation, dedication, and training brought them to an elite level of competition as they...
by Chris Atkins | Dec 23, 2019 | Uncategorized
“I cannot deny what I have seen with my own eyes.” Many people who saw Jesus in action voiced similar words when confronted by religious and secular governing officials. These people saw Jesus bring sight to those who were blind, healing to those who were...
