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It Made My Day!
I’ve been going to the gym lately trying to keep my knee joints moving so I can keep my own knees and not end up with some foreign parts in my body. I can hardly believe it, but I really like going. I get up early, throw on some exercise clothes, brush my teeth and hair and drive to the gym. I’ve met a few really nice people there. The young man named Joe, who helped me learn how to use the machines, was very kind to this older lady who needed a lot of help. There are a couple of women about my age who also happen to like the early…
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Lessons from 10 Years on the Road
Lord willing, tomorrow I will finish 10 years. Let me explain. 10 years ago, I could not stand how I felt. While I had (and have) a minor medical condition, it was more than that. I had gained some weight. I was lethargic. To say I was out of shape would be an understatement. So, on September 13, at 6:00 AM, I got up and went outside for a walk. The walk did not last long–about 20 minutes–, but I told myself that this was the beginning of something that I was going to stick with no matter what. That first winter, I remember the day when I knew I…
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Ezekiel’s Wife
What is the one blessing in your life that causes you the greatest amount of joy? What is the desire of your heart? What if that one thing that has become the pinnacle of your existence was to be removed? How would you respond? In the book of Ezekiel God sends a very difficult message to Judah by way of a sign in the life of this faithful prophet. Can you guess what it is? Ezekiel’s wife dies. That’s right, she dies. Ezekiel is even then told by God that he is not to mourn at the sudden loss of his wife but to rather sigh in silence. He is…
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“Whatever the Cost” : 3 Words that Make Me Think
Do you ever stop to think about the words you sing as you worship? Since we are supposed to “…sing with the spirit…and with the understanding…” (1 Cor. 14:15), it seems to me that this would be an advisable thing to do. At times, this is also a sobering thing to do. In fact, it could be downright challenging. I love the song, “I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary.” I especially like the sentiment expressed in these words: “And when time has surrendered and earth is no more, I’ll still cling to the old rugged cross.” However, there are some lyrics right before those words that challenge me. If I’m really engaged…
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Welcome, Grady!
Today [Wednesday, ADF] was a special day. For the first time since Lyssabeth, a new baby was born into our family. Jeremiah’s niece, Lauryn, and her husband Chayce, welcomed little Grady to the world today. It is so fun to see those 10 perfect toes and sweet little lips and cheeks! And, we are thankful for modern medicine as Grady has had to have a little help keeping his oxygen up today. If you know me personally or read my posts, you know that my mind tends to spiral quickly. I was thinking about the joy of Grady’s coming and then the thought hit me of what a hypocritical world…
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Thank God for Squirming Kids: Why Congregations Should Reconsider Children’s Church
It seems to be happening in more and more places. It is about time for the sermon to begin, and a boatload of parents carry or walk their precious children to a different part of the building and then return for the lesson. The kids are in “children’s church” and the adults are in what is sometimes jokingly called “big church.” Today, I want to urge congregations to rethink this approach. Typically, when people want to start (or defend) “children’s church,” they give the same couple of reasons. Admittedly, both are understandable, but both also need to be thought through carefully. Some suggest that children’s church gives young people a…
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What’s the Temperature Where You Worship?
Do you have “thermostat wars” where you worship? Regardless of the season of the year, it is not unusual for there to be complaints about the temperature in places of worship. Some of us may have even seen a number of people walk by the appropriate thermostat and set it to their individual preferences. I even heard of one place where the active thermostat was hidden away and some “dummy” ones were placed where people could think that they were accomplishing something by adjusting them. It is remarkable what we will do to benefit our physical comfort. Did you know that there are people who are more concerned than you are about…
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I Beg Your Pardon
I don’t remember how many years ago it was when I first heard the song Rose Garden, sung by Lynn Anderson. It has a really catchy tune and in part the chorus lyrics said: “I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden. Along with the sunshine, there’s gotta be a little rain sometime.” I think the reason this song comes to my mind on occasion is simply because the words to this chorus are so true. Life is like that – some days are sunny and full of good things, but others are cloudy, gloomy, and full of trouble. Life isn’t a rose garden! Often, we may leave the impression…
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Step One in Evangelism
I have not played golf in over 20 years, but when I played a little in high school, I was awful. Still, I remember the high levels of concentration needed to think about, address, and hit the shot. A golfer in Florida recently took that concentration to fairly extreme levels, though. As he was preparing to hit a shot from the fairway, a seven-foot-long alligator walked right by him, less than ten feet away, and the golfer never really noticed. The alligator literally walked in front of the golfer, who just walked up to the ball and took his shot while ignoring the huge creature. May I take that story…
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Why Can’t We All Just Get Along
I don’t like conflict. In fact, I really do everything I can to avoid it at all times. So when it comes to matters of faith you can imagine that it becomes even more important to me to get along with people as much as possible. How do you feel about getting along with people with regard to matters of faith? The longer I live the more I realize how difficult it is to get along with everyone in the religious community. This is not a God problem, it’s a man problem. There is perfect harmony and unity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But the creation is subject…
