Winn Collier's Blog, page 5
April 21, 2020
The Diner
When I was a kid, my mom turned mundane or challenging realities into memories, into moments of joy. Once we had little money for Christmas, and mom scrounged the house pulling out odds and ends (an old camera, a beat-up typewriter, various knick-knacks). She wrapped them and put them under the tree. We thought they …
The post The Diner appeared first on winncollier.com.
April 11, 2020
Dear John ~ April 11, 2020 ~ God is Always There
Dear John, On Monday, over video, I enjoyed a lunch-time break with kids from church. It was absolute bedlam. It was magnificent. A couple kids were going bonkers, yelling at the screen, gobs of kids all jabbering at once. One kid stared intently, straight into the camera, picking his nose–and with real earnestness. They began …
Continue reading "Dear John ~ April 11, 2020 ~ God is Always There"
The post Dear John ~ April 11, 2020 ~ God is Always There appeared first on winncollier.com.
Dear John ~ God is Always There
Dear John, On Monday, I enjoyed a lunch-time Zoom break with kids from church. It was absolute bedlam. It was magnificent. A couple kids were going bonkers, yelling at the screen, gobs of kids all jabbering at once. One kid stared intently, straight into the camera, picking his nose–and with real earnestness. They began a …
Continue reading "Dear John ~ God is Always There"
The post Dear John ~ God is Always There appeared first on winncollier.com.
March 31, 2020
Dear John ~ We Must Not Break
Dear John, I know we’re not keeping score, and this free-flowing open-handiness, this total lack of keeping tally, is one of the signals of genuine friendship. Still, as your good and faithful words have landed in my digital mailbox three times now, I’ve been trying to write this letter to you. I just haven’t had …
Continue reading "Dear John ~ We Must Not Break"
The post Dear John ~ We Must Not Break appeared first on winncollier.com.
February 17, 2020
A Political Hope
One of my deep alarms as a Christian (and a pastor) in our current political moment is how often we–both right and left–surrender our unique story and conviction and identity. Rather than speaking a prophetic word, revealed and made possible in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we are virtually indistinguishable from whatever our …
Continue reading "A Political Hope"
The post A Political Hope appeared first on winncollier.com.
January 7, 2020
A Joy Born of Desperation
A couple friends and I have an ongoing text chain, sometimes emails too, that goes back years. It’s mostly stream-of-consciousness: bits of poetry, prayers for work and marriage and children, cunning and astute observations, theological squabbles, recipes and beautiful pictures, rounds of witty repartee that we’ll keep to ourselves, and rants on whatever nonsense various …
Continue reading "A Joy Born of Desperation"
The post A Joy Born of Desperation appeared first on winncollier.com.
December 4, 2019
The Scent of Advent
We have a pup in our house, a floppy-eared, mop-haired, black and white bundle of 1/2 Tasmanian Devil, 1/2 vivacious joy. Though Miska is the dog-whisperer in our family, on Fridays I’m responsible for Gus’ early morning walk. Two weeks ago, Gus and I strolled an empty, leaf-strewn street in our neighborhood, silence and the …
Continue reading "The Scent of Advent"
The post The Scent of Advent appeared first on winncollier.com.
October 15, 2019
A Certain Fellow and His Horn
Once upon a time, a certain fellow laid on a horn a tad longer than he should have because the driver of a black Jeep completely ignored a 4-way stop. It’s been a stressful few days and the horn felt so good for a flash of a moment–and truth told, narcissist drivers who punch it …
Continue reading "A Certain Fellow and His Horn"
The post A Certain Fellow and His Horn appeared first on winncollier.com.
August 14, 2019
Stand Your Ground
In Florida recently, our family stopped into the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Places like this are a mixed bag for me. However, stepping through the brick wall into Diagon Alley, you find yourself wading through a wide-eyed, slack-jawed throng. We all want to belong. We all want to be part of an epic story. …
Continue reading "Stand Your Ground"
The post Stand Your Ground appeared first on winncollier.com.
July 8, 2019
Life’s River
Since the boys were tikes, I’ve taken each of them on a solo road trip for their birthday. It’s one of my very favorite dad-things. I always hope for a flash of memorable conversation, where a dad and a son share a moment with gravity. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t. You can’t force these …
Continue reading "Life’s River"
The post Life’s River appeared first on winncollier.com.
