The Blazing Center

That’s OK, Tonto, I Can Figure It Out

21 June 2010

47436 Comments2010-06-21+12%3A18%3A18Mark+Altrogge

God commands believers to bear one another’s burdens. Implied in this command is that we must allow others to bear our burdens as well. To me, this is harder than bearing the burdens of others. I would rather shoulder my own load and not bother others. Sometimes this is because of pride. I don’t want [...]

Don’t Bother Me With Your Problems

3 September 2008

8526 CommentsDon%27t+Bother+Me+With+Your+Problems2008-09-03+10%3A00%3A17Stephen+Altrogge

Confession: I’m not a big fan of other people’s problems. I’m a wicked sinner who’s got a pile of his own sin to deal with on a daily basis. When someone comes to me with a problem, whether it be physical, financial, relational, or spiritual, I’m not doing a jig of excitement. Working through problems [...]

Refreshing Souls

1 September 2008

8465 CommentsRefreshing+Souls2008-09-01+10%3A00%3A49Stephen+Altrogge

Naps, along with fire, the wheel, and steak, are perhaps the greatest thing ever invented. Why? Because they are so refreshing. I just woke up from a nap and I feel like ten million bucks. Before the nap I felt like sludgy pudding. Now I feel like a superstar. I recently read the following words [...]

7 Tough Questions To Ask Your Friends

12 February 2008

26710 Comments7+Tough+Questions+To+Ask+Your+Friends2008-02-12+13%3A00%3A00Stephen+Altrogge

Last week I wrote a post saying that godly friends ask tough, heart-exposing questions of each other for the purpose of pointing each other towards Christ. In that post I gave a few examples of what these questions might look like. One reader asked if I had a list of other tough questions to ask [...]

My Friends Are So Awkward

8 February 2008

2634 CommentsMy+Friends+Are+So+Awkward2008-02-08+13%3A00%3A00Stephen+Altrogge

On most Friday mornings my alarm rips me out of my golden slumbers at approximately 6:03 A.M. I stumble out of bed, get dressed in complete darkness, and emerge from my bedroom wearing an outfit that makes it look as though a thumb-less monkey dressed me. I then make the sleepy drive over to Starbucks, [...]

When My Friends Wound Me

6 February 2008

2618 CommentsWhen+My+Friends+Wound+Me2008-02-06+13%3A00%3A00Stephen+Altrogge

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” – Proverbs 27:6 I’ve never been a big fan of Proverbs 27:6. Now, before any of you readers go Phineas on me (see Numbers 25) and ram a spear through my stomach, let me explain. Correction has never been something I’ve [...]

Are You A Godly Friend?

4 February 2008

2592 CommentsAre+You+A+Godly+Friend%3F2008-02-04+13%3A00%3A00Stephen+Altrogge

There’s a bumper sticker that says “Friends don’t let friends buy Starbucks”. Let me just say from the outset that I consider this to be utter nonsense, equivalent to giving Keanu Reeves an Oscar. If you are my friend you will buy me Starbucks. You don’t need to buy me anything fancy, like a half-caf, [...]