I love Spring! It is full of new life that begins to pop out everywhere. If you’re a gardener, you love Springtime because it’s time to till up that ground and plan where you will plant those seeds you bought so they can grow and produce a crop. But wait —  it’s not Spring. It’s almost Autumn. So why would I be asking you if you’ve planted any seeds lately? Because the kind of seeds I’m talking about are not the kind you plant in the ground. They are the kind you plant in hearts. It takes the same kind of conscious effort to plant seeds in a heart that it does to plant…

Covid-19. Social unrest. A Presidential election. And on and on and on it goes. Just thinking about all the “big” news stories of the last few weeks is amazing. We are living in times where many people are wondering if we can actually handle any more “big” news. (I hope we have seen enough to realize that “breaking news” needs to be more than just some celebrity marriage proposal!) Christians are in this world, and, as such, we have feelings and opinions on all these types of matters. We are thinking about how to handle an ongoing pandemic, and we are talking about it. We have thoughts on Black Lives…

For the better part of six months now, we have been dealing with coronavirus restrictions and changes. Our schools, jobs, recreation, shopping, and even our churches have had to do things differently. Every aspect of our lives has been touched to some degree. As a preacher, I have some serious concerns over what all of this is doing to individual Christians and to each congregation. But there is one concern I have that is greater than any other. What is it? Well… My biggest concern is NOT lower attendance or giving numbers. Yes, it is difficult to preach to a room that is half-full (or less), but I know that…

“Mrs. Smith, we need to see Johnny in the principal’s office please.” Words like these are usually uttered in a stern tone and send fear into the heart of many elementary students every year. I think it is interesting that we teach children to remember the difference in “principal” and “principle” is that the one ending with “pal” is the person at your school and yet no one wants to be called to their “pal’s” office! Well, let me tell you, it doesn’t feel any better as an adult! Now, anyone who knows me well knows how much I respect my principal. She is caring, professional, supportive, and kind. She…

Imagine knowing you have wanted to find someone for years–even decades–only to be brought together by coronavirus. That actually happened to two women in Nebraska recently. They were sisters, but had been separated for over 50 years. Sisters by the same father, but not the same mother, they both knew each other existed, but could not find contact information. The older, now 73, contracted coronavirus and suffered a fall in her weakness, breaking an arm. She had to go to a nursing home for at least part of her recovery. The younger, 53, works as a medication aide at that exact nursing home. When she looked over the patient list,…