Ryan's Ramblings

Less Talk, More Work The ideal teacher: someone who can’t talk. — William Stafford During Christmas Break of my last year of college I worked in a floor covering warehouse with a friend. As we "worked," we were always cracking jokes, talking, laughing, and… goofing around. Every morning, the carpet and vinyl installers parked their…

Old Wet Tennis Shoes All of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. (1 Peter 5:5-6, NLT) According to…

Looking to Jesus Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus. (Hebrews 12:1-2, ESV) The other day, I was trying to find some information for a friend and had to look back at my journal entries from 1998 to 2006 to find the requested details, and as I…

Why? For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, NLT) I will never forget the advice I received from a wise mentor about handling tough situations and navigating challenging interactions in life.…

The Light The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined. (Matthew 4:16, NLT) I was only five years old, but I still remember the light. It was Christmas Eve, 1971. After my dad got off…

I’m Thankful Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God. (Psalm 50:14, NLT) The other day at work, I passed a colleague in the hall who greeted me with, “How are you?” and I replied, “I’m thankful.” He paused and asked, “What are you thankful about?” and I answered, “Oh wow, lots of things …. I’m thankful…

Forget it My grandparents had a small farm in Southern Idaho and it was my privilege to spend my summers working alongside my grandad on that farm. It was a great adventure that included tractors, milk cows, irrigation boots, barn cats, hay bales, hard work, and two dogs—Tara and Pug. Those two dogs knew every…

Not Alone Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:20, NLT) Do you feel alone sometimes? Me too. Most major news outlets, many health care providers, the Surgeon General and (of course) Google, all say that the new epidemic in the U.S. is loneliness. But…

Who are you? The evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15, NLT) I’ve taken my fair share of “selfies,” some with important and popular people, some in exotic places, and scores with friends and family. Honestly, I do it to make memories, but . . .…

Engagement Ring When you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would…