One of the most significant moves that Doris and I made was the move from Augusta, Georgia to Mt. Vernon, Ohio. We had been married just a few years and I was called from being a youth pastor at a small church in the south to become the associate pastor at a very large, university… Continue Reading
Author Archives: Dr. Mike Courtney
Real Men
A few weeks ago I spoke for another retreat. This one was for men. Just men. All shapes and sizes. All kinds of backgrounds. I’ve done this is Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Florida, California, and a dozen other states. I have spoken to fathers and sons, promisekeepers, men with a mission, biker’s for Christ, and… Continue Reading
I Know
On Monday I wrote in the Branches Newsletter http://www.branchesrecoverycenter.com/ about the need to know and be known. I call that intimacy and I believe it drives the heart of men and women in the choices they make, the goals they set, and the desires they follow. That’s why we Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace. To be… Continue Reading
Intimacy: Know and be known
There is written into the DNA of every man the need to know and be known. From the very beginning God created man in community. He said, “Let us make man in our image.” He gave man a name, Adam, and of all His creatures only called Adam by name. In fact God assigned to… Continue Reading
Good Friday Tornado
Last Friday, Good Friday, Doris and I were sitting in our family room visiting with some of our very best friends from Ohio. The TV was on providing background noise to the animated conversation of catch-up and the loud laughter that marks such moments. The weather the day before had been gorgeous with lots of… Continue Reading
Touchdown
Jon-Mical is our 14 month old grandson and he is so smart. Yesterday Doris and I taught him a new trick in 5 seconds. We were listening to a worship CD and I noticed his little arms up over his head so I threw both of my arms up and said, “Praise Jesus!” You are… Continue Reading
Hold On
My blog today is actually an email response to a friend in ministry that is feeling the effects of the economy. He is frightened and discouraged over the inability to spin enough plates to takes care of his family and also build a fledgling ministry he feels God has called him to. Maybe his plight… Continue Reading
Geriatric Jesus
“I wish Jesus had lived to be 60.” Isn’t that a strange thing to say? But a former pastor of mine, a man I worked with for several years used to say that all of the time. He was a little eccentric so I just chalked it up to terminal weirdness. Now, at 55, I’m… Continue Reading
Coco
Twelve years ago Josh and Jacob decided to get me the Christmas gift of my dreams. I have always wanted a chocolate Lab, a beautiful dog, as noble in its stature as it is gentle in its demeanor. Just before Christmas in 1997 the boys came walking in with a brown bundle of fur, complete… Continue Reading
Lent and an Idea
I have an idea. It came to me about 3am this morning which is when most of my ideas come. The problem is that by the time the sun comes up and its bright enough to write them down I can’t remember my own name much less the idea. But this idea is different. Yesterday… Continue Reading