My family loves to tease me about my ever-ready willingness to accept the blame and bear the guilt for just about anything that has ever gone wrong. Occasionally, when Rev and my daughter know that I couldn’t possibly have been at fault, they will grin and blame me anyway. How bad is it? My daughter… Read More
It’s a familiar story… ‘If only I could accomplish this, do that, go there, or get what I want . . . then I will be happy.” Yet, when the desire is met or the goal achieved . . . the individual is not satisfied. They end up saying they feel disappointed, lacking, and the… Read More
John is called the Apostle of love. When he wrote this letter “many believers were conforming to the world’s standards, failing to stand up for Christ and compromising their faith.” (LAB Notes) Sound familiar? He wanted to point people back to the truth . . . reminding readers of God’s love for them, he wanted… Read More
I had two great aunts growing up who believed that Jesus’ return was imminent. As I look around, I believe we can make the case that we should be watching the sky and listening for the trumpet blast. Throughout history, Christians have shared this belief. Yet, year after year the world continues, and because it… Read More
Peter was among the disciples who asked: “What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?” The following is just a portion of Jesus reply: You will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers. And many… Read More
The other day, I received the following comment on something I shared on Pinterest… “Reading about imaginary deities won’t add to your knowledge.” I get similar comments fairly often and honestly, although they sadden me they no longer surprise me. What does surprise me are the times when people who identify as Christians but don’t… Read More
When life is comfortable it’s easy for us to get lazy. We love the thought of life being carefree but unfortunately, that’s when we’re tempted to get careless. Take a look at the typical wildlife documentary. The predators always stalk and wait for just the right unguarded moment to pounce on and devour their prey.… Read More
Our daughter’s family loves working on jigsaw puzzles. This particular puzzle was a Christmas gift. They were so excited about the design and couldn’t wait to mount, frame, and hang it. They were on that puzzle for weeks . . . it was complicated with many small pieces. But they were determined. Finally, they were… Read More
I’ve been a member of two different churches during a time of disagreement that caused a split among the members. One split over worship style and the other over the pending location of the new worship center. Sadly, Christians have been disagreeing and separating since the early days of the church. Peter gave the following… Read More
I love exploring local bookstores when we’re on vacation. I’ve found all kinds of treasures on their racks. One such treasure was the book, In His Steps by Charles Sheldon. Even if you’re not familiar with the book itself, which I highly recommend, you probably are well aware of the acronym that came from it.… Read More
A little over a year into our marriage, Rev was contacted by an attorney who said that his elderly great aunt had died and left him a $500 savings bond. We were both surprised and grateful. You see, Rev was a full-time student at the seminary and I was a parochial school teacher. That was… Read More
We often talk about the “power of prayer” and it is Biblical. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. James 5:16 Prayer is powerful but it’s not powerful because of the one who prays . . . it is powerful because of the One to whom we pray.… Read More