Around this time of year, my DVD collection receives special attention from me, particularly my Christmas Hallmark collection. I watched “A Dog Named Christmas,” and it brought back memories of my pets: Snuffy, Hector, Michael, Sammy, Sandy, and Jackie. It is said that you can tell what kind of a person you are by how you treat your pets. My pets have always been a special part of my family, and hopefully, I have loved them as I would want…..
There is an adage: “Figure out what is holding you back, let it go, and move on.” Something like this happened to me recently. There was a painting of my father in his ministerial vestments that he gave to my mother on our last Christmas together. My mother died from kidney carcinoma the following May after a one and a half year battle with the disease. I received this painting from my father’s estate twenty years later and very promptly…..
Today is All Saints Day. I am remembering all who have gone before me: Wendell, Charlie, Mike, Mom, Dad, my entire mother’s family, most of my dad’s family, colleagues from where I taught, neighbors from several homes, and friends from three states. I am very grateful that I have one aunt left on my Dad’s side who has taught me so much about his family. They rest from their labors and confessed their Christian faiths to the world. Jesus Christ…..
Sitting in church this morning, I realized that I have been given a truly wonderful gift like my father. He could take difficult passages from the Bible and make them understandable to all types of people. I was privileged to be one of those parishioners, and I will try to demonstrate this talent in paraphrasing of three books from the Bible: Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 8: 31-36, and John 8:12. I may not be as prolific as my father, but I…..
2 Timothy 3: 14-15 tells us to continue to learn and to firmly believe in who taught us about our sacred scriptures and to continue to grow our faith for our salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. All scriptures are inspired by God and are useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Our efforts to follow the wisdom of the Bible will equip everyone who is a child of God to do good works. Yesterday,…..
“He hath made everything beautiful in His time…” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 KJV) I looked at you sitting beside me at the dinner table last night and marveled at what a beautiful and courageous young man you have become. Thanks to all who love you, your eighteen years will hold you strong in truth, wisdom, and honor. Embarking on this new journey in the navy will make your path a struggle at times, but never forget that love is stronger than fear…..
(Psalm 139: 1-5 KJV) “O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought a far off. Thou compasses my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.” These words are strongly speaking to my mind…..
In “The Cost of Discipleship,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Christian discipleship without acts is not Christianity. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” Only our Christian deeds make us like “Christ-with-flesh- on.” I firmly believe that we must also offer hope to everyone, not just to family members, friends, and neighbors, but to all people of all races, creeds, colors, religions, genders and political parties. We have become such a divided country that we are failing to see how broken…..
Psalm 103:2-5 states, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” When you truly listen to people’s life crushing stories, you see that they have endured hardships and have also been blessed with many wonderful…..
When do you praise the Lord…every day, every week, only on Sundays? We need to praise Him every minute of every day because He gives us life and everything in it. We are nothing without Him. Psalm 148 tells us who should praise Him. We are to praise Him in the heavens and in the heights. All the angels and all His hosts are to praise Him. The sun and moon and all the stars are to praise Him. The…..