Several years ago, my mother was living in an assisted living home located very close to where Jim and I lived. It was wonderful because it allowed at least one of us to visit her almost every day. On one particular day I went to visit her in the early afternoon and I could tell from how everyone was acting that something special was going on. I found Mom sitting in a little alcove just outside of her room and next to the beauty shop. Her hair had been done (even thought it wasn’t her regular day), and she had on one of her nicest outfits. Then I noticed that the beauty shop…

When the wise men were seeking Jesus after His birth, who was it that told them where He would be born? What group became some of the fiercest enemies of Jesus during His ministry on earth? What group leveled accusations against Jesus and also helped to incite people to demand His crucifixion? As many who read this probably already know, the answer to all of these questions is the chief priests. On some occasions, these men were also joined by others, but that was not always the case.   The purpose of this post is not to get into a detailed discussion of who these men were, how they came to their position, or…

I’m sure we have all heard the story about the man praying for God to save him from the flood who continually turned down everyone who tried to help him. He sent the early responders away, then the rescue boat, and finally even the helicopter. When he reached heaven he was confused and asked God why his faith wasn’t rewarded for he had told each of his would-be rescuers that he had prayed and he knew God would save him. The story says that God simply asked, “What was wrong with the helpers, boat, and helicopter I sent?” We all usually chuckle and make a promise to ourselves that we…

Various attempts have been made to distinguish between wisdom and knowledge. I suppose that one of the more common efforts is to suggest that knowledge is the acquiring of information while wisdom is understanding how to use that knowledge. This may be the reason for one of my favorite illustrations between the two: Knowledge is understanding that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting a tomato in a fruit salad. While what I write here will by no means settle all of the questions that may come to mind about the difference(s) between wisdom and knowledge, I think that one passage of scripture may provide a good starting place for…

I don’t know about you, but I have seen article after article and post after post about the title of this post – declutter and organize. I understand that at this time of year, many think that the first of the year is the time to declutter your house and organize your belongings. After all, it’s been cold outside and many of us have spent the bulk of our time indoors. When ice and snow and below freezing temperatures were added to the mix, we all hunkered down in our homes. Added to that, during this last year the Coronavirus has kept us at home even more. The thought of contracting Covid-19…

During the past year, the “mask policy” has changed multiple times. National, state, and local governments have mandated a variety of changes in policy. These changes have often been difficult to understand and even more difficult to enforce. There have been instances when one set of policies has conflicted with others. Various levels of government have not been alone in adopting confusing and conflicting policies. Businesses, churches, and other organizations have also felt the need to adopt their own “mask policies.”   All of this has even filtered down to the family and individual levels. Some families and individuals refuse to wear a mask and/or require others to do so in their presence while others make…