{"id":4879,"date":"2025-09-11T08:06:33","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T12:06:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/js1cd06kre.onrocket.site\/?p=4879"},"modified":"2025-09-11T08:06:33","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T12:06:33","slug":"qa-with-glenn-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/11\/qa-with-glenn-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Q&A with Glenn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast,\u00a0<\/em>click here<\/a>

Today\u2019s post is a bit different.\u00a0Once a year I pause to address some of the questions I hear most often from readers.

Where do you get the ideas for the subjects you address?<\/strong>

Everywhere. I enjoy books, so many of the ideas spring from whatever I happen to be reading.\u00a0I\u2019m especially drawn to science and history. Pop culture also has a way of sneaking in. It helps to have a file of sermons and presentations from my 40-plus years as a pastor.\u00a0Some of my favorite reflections have been inspired by chance conversations or email banter with readers.

Do you listen to audio books?<\/strong>

I do. In fact, more than half the books I experience in a given year come via Amazon Audible. I\u2019m frequently asked if listening to a book \u201ccounts\u201d as reading that book. I always say, \u201cAbsolutely.\u201d It took me a few years to adjust to the way I access a book\u2019s contents \u2013 there\u2019s definitely a transition from the eye to the ear. Along the way it was also important to develop a means of taking notes and retaining facts. I can add that I think it\u2019s especially compelling when a writer chooses to read his or her own book. For me, that significantly deepens my connection with the author. \u00a0

Do you use ChatGPT or another A.I. composition program?<\/strong>

I don\u2019t. While I am among those who view artificial intelligence as a wonderful asset (and feel hopeful about its future), relying on A.I. to compose reflections feels to me like cheating<\/em>. I believe readers expect to hear from a living, breathing, fellow disciple, not an algorithm. Besides, doing original research is at least half the fun.

Do you write a host of reflections in advance, or take it one day at a time?<\/strong>

I\u2019ve never been able to write very far ahead. It takes about 2-3 hours to compose a reflection, which is something I usually do during the afternoon or the evening of the day before I send it.\u00a0

Do you have an editor, a proofreader, and tech support?<\/strong>

I wear the first two hats.\u00a0All the mistakes, misquotes, and misunderstandings are mine.\u00a0I\u2019m delighted to say that I get top drawer tech support and website design from my son Mark and from J.K. Stewart, without whom I would still be wandering in the techno-wilderness of the 20th<\/sup> century.\u00a0

How many people are on the receiving end of the reflections every morning?<\/strong>

Our best estimate is somewhere in the neighborhood of 40,000 readers.\u00a0That takes into account the many subscribers who acknowledge they regularly forward the reflections to family members, friends, and co-workers.

Does that mean I have permission to send them on to others?<\/strong>

Definitely. In fact, I hope you feel led to do so.\u00a0All the reflections are meant to be shared, reposted, or used as illustrations in any context where they might be useful.\u00a0An insightful author once said that God\u2019s gifts come to us because they are on their way to someone else. I don\u2019t see myself as someone blessed with many \u201coriginal ideas,\u201d but rather as a gatherer and compiler of some of the useful insights that have come to all of us from God\u2019s people throughout the ages. Morning Reflections are just a way of making some of those insights more widely available.

How did Morning Reflections begin?<\/strong>

For nine years (2011-2020) I had the privilege of being the Director of Mission Integration (think \u201cworkplace pastor\u201d) for about a thousand Indianapolis-based associates of Ascension, one of America\u2019s largest healthcare corporations.\u00a0At the beginning of December 2012, I realized that many of those employees knew next to nothing about the historical and spiritual roots of the Christmas season.\u00a0After experimenting with a month of \u201cmorning reflections\u201d leading up to December 25, my boss, Lee Coulter, graciously asked if I wanted to keep writing in January.\u00a0Things took off from there. Morning Reflections became a stand-alone ministry when I retired from Ascension in 2020.

Is that why reflections only come out on weekdays?<\/strong>

Exactly. The Monday-through-Friday format was originally intended to serve the workplace.\u00a0\u00a0

Any plans to include Saturday and Sunday in the future?<\/strong>

None at this time. I\u2019ve come to cherish my two-day weekend \u201csabbath.\u201d It provides a welcome chance to recharge and reload.

Do you serve on the staff of a local church?<\/strong>

I\u2019m formally retired from congregational leadership. From time to time I\u2019m asked to preach or teach at local churches. Otherwise, I spend most of my waking hours with Mary Sue taking care of our five-acre horse farm near Lebanon, Indiana.

What can you tell us about your animals?<\/strong>

We have four horses, all rescues. One is a thoroughbred mare who is retired from the racetrack. The other three are mustangs (two geldings and a mare) \u2013 free-range horses from Nevada and Wyoming rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management. Our daughter Katy, a certified trainer, purchased them from the government via online auctions. I am not a rider, but I\u2019ve become quite skilled with a muck rake and wheelbarrow. We also have eight cats (two indoors and six in the barn and beyond). As you can imagine, there aren\u2019t many mice in our neighborhood. Some of you are no doubt thinking, \u201cThat\u2019s eight cats too many.\u201d But we cherish every one of them.

Is there a new series coming this fall?<\/strong>

Yes. Each reflection in November will focus on one of the \u201c1:1\u201d verses of the Bible \u2013 chapter one, verse one of either an Old Testament or New Testament book. It\u2019s fascinating to discover how much theological content and inspiration can be packed into one of those opening sentences. Then, in December, we\u2019ll tackle a series related to Advent and Christmas.

Do you feel hopeful about the state of Christianity in America?<\/strong>

Followers of Jesus are called to be the world\u2019s most hopeful people, something we see in Paul\u2019s wish for his readers: \u201c<\/strong>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace\u00a0as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit\u201d (Romans 15:13). From a human perspective, however, this feels like a transitional moment for the North American church. Mainline Protestant denominations continue their steady decline in numbers and influence. Conservative and evangelical groups remain gridlocked in culture wars concerning politics, the age of the Earth, and what constitutes a family. Catholics, while celebrating the election of an American pope, continue to struggle to regain the trust of parishioners after pervasive priestly scandals. While research indicates that the long slide in national church attendance seems finally to have leveled off, many congregations are still trying to find their footing (and regain their former attendance) following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is there a new Reformation or revival on the horizon?<\/strong>

God alone knows! Let\u2019s hope and pray that the Spirit provides just such a gift in the very near future.

What happens if I suddenly stop receiving the reflections?<\/strong>

Great question. The most likely scenario is that your computer, because of automatic updates, has shunted the reflections into your junk folder. So always look first at your spam. It\u2019s also possible that you\u2019ve been unsubscribed, either by an accidental keystroke at your end or through the deliberate action of someone to whom you forwarded a reflection. It is required by law that bulk email distributions include a link for unsubscribing. If you forward a post and that person decides, \u201cI don\u2019t really want to receive any more of these\u201d and hits the \u201cunsubscribe\u201d link, they\u2019ve actually just knocked you<\/em> off the Reflection distribution list. That happens to at least a handful of people every week.

How can I prevent that?<\/strong>

Before you send any forwards, delete<\/u><\/em> the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the post. That is perfectly legal when forwarding emails. And if you yourself want to get back on to the distribution list? Just send me that request at glenn@glennsreflections.com<\/a>.

Is it possible to contact you personally?<\/strong>

Of course! It\u2019s easy. All you have to do is hit Reply to any reflection, or leave a message in the Contact section of my website \u2013 the link appears at the end of every post. I connect with a number of readers every day (including weekends), and I enjoy interacting on a host of subjects.

How are things on the business side of Morning Reflections Inc?<\/strong>

We\u2019re doing well. I can\u2019t thank you enough for your incredible generosity.

Any last thoughts?\u00a0<\/strong>

There are no words to express what a joy it is to know that when I hit Send early in the morning, this stream of electrons is somehow, by God\u2019s grace, helping connect all of us for his ultimate purposes. Without you, there would be no ministry.\u00a0Thanks for your prayers.\u00a0And thanks for your partnership in this ongoing work.\u00a0

Glenn McDonald<\/em>
September 2025<\/em>
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

To listen to today’s reflection as a podcast,\u00a0click here Today\u2019s post is a bit different.\u00a0Once a year I pause to address some of the questions I hear most often from readers. Where do you get the ideas for the subjects you address? Everywhere. I enjoy books, so many of the ideas spring from whatever I happen to be reading.\u00a0I\u2019m especially… Read more »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4880,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4879"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4879\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4881,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4879\/revisions\/4881"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glennsreflections.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}