by Gary Taylor | Apr 10, 2017 | Blog, Brokenness, Cross, Humbling, Lent, sin, Vulnerable
Nature recycles fallen trees by way of decay, breaking them down into reusable nutrients. Bacteria, fungi, and insects devour dead trees that can no longer resist. The very things that the tree defended against when alive are responsible for the tree’s decay....
by Gary Taylor | Mar 20, 2017 | Blog, Brokenness, Lent, sin, transformation, Vulnerable
Lent is a season during which I’ve put myself on trial. Prayers and Scripture reading lead me into set-aside time for examination, for opening myself to the Holy Spirit’s questioning and conviction. As it turns out, I was summoned for jury duty during this same...
by Gary Taylor | Feb 19, 2017 | Blog, Brokenness, grace, Overwhelmed, Vulnerable
I have a hard time letting go. And it could save your life. My right hand has 2 fingers that are permanently bent as the result of falling off a ladder a few years ago. I’ll put my keys in my pocket, for example, but the key ring often loops around one of my...
by Gary Taylor | Jan 27, 2017 | Blog, Busy, Community, Pause, Vulnerable
After my dad passed away in 2012, I inherited several hundred books from his library. Most of them are commentaries on the 66 books of the Bible. To prepare for teaching from Ephesians this weekend, I pulled a number of those books off the shelf. His name – in his own...
by Gary Taylor | Jan 22, 2017 | Blog, Creation, grace, sin, Vulnerable
A chattering, babbling creek. Stagnant, marshy pools teeming with tadpoles. Coarse sand. Weathered, smoothed stones. Weeds. Wildflowers. Random bursts of color smattered against a canvas of multiple shades of green. Tall, sprawling trees. Fallen trees, still...
by Gary Taylor | Jan 16, 2017 | Blog, Community, Creation, Cross, grace, sin, transformation, Vulnerable
My computer wouldn’t connect to the internet. As you know, pretty much everything we use a computer for relies on an internet connection. I sorta panicked. Really. I grew increasingly frustrated that I couldn’t connect, and therefore couldn’t get...
At the age of 32 I married my best friend, Beth. Thirteen years later we are blessed with two very energetic kids - Jack (12) and Calleigh (9). My wife is a ridiculously good cook who loves hosting dinners in our home, and then I go to the gym to work off the calories. I am an avid reader who appreciates contemplative, Spiritual conversations shared over a cup of coffee. Hobbies and interests include reading and writing, journaling, working out, and St. Louis Cardinal’s baseball. More 