A while ago, I wrote about a man who has a podcast that I listen to on a fairly regular basis. It has been a while since he discussed the subject that I’m thinking about today. I cannot remember exactly when it was, but I know that I was so intrigued at the time that I read the transcript of that particular podcast and made a few notes. In his podcast and manuscript, he refers to a man by the name of Theo Hobson and describes him as “…a major British theologian and public intellectual…”. From what little I’ve learned about Dr. Hobson, I would probably not agree with him on what I…

Sadly, in our world, people get hurt. There are some who, for whatever reason, are out to hurt other people, but for the most part, people just get hurt by a word said at the wrong time or someone not knowing any better. Typically, we are hurt by people who do not mean to hurt us, but it still stings. When that happens, there are a lot of dangers we must watch out for. When our heart is hurting, we can be in very dangerous territory. Our enemy, the devil, knows that we are vulnerable and will use any means necessary to place temptations before us. There are many ways…

I am typing these words as I sit with Donna during the day following her second knee replacement surgery. Our first experience with this was about nine months ago.   The doctor told us that no two surgeries or recoveries are exactly the same. So far, the events have proven him to be exactly correct. While the procedure was the same (except for two different knees), the surgeon was the same, and the hospital was the same, this experience is very different from the first one. So far, Donna seems to be having more difficulty getting “back on her feet” – both literally and figuratively.   I’ve spent part of today thinking about some “life lessons”…

[Editor’s Note: Due to a mix-up, this post is being shared one week after the surgery mentioned in the introduction. We are glad to say it was successful! We hope you find the message of the post just as timely as if it had been published on the correct day. If you read this post early on Thursday morning, I will most likely have just had surgery having a new knee implanted. I had the other knee done in September of last year, and now this knee is saying, ‘it’s my turn.” I know what to expect–the pain, the therapy, the slow movement. I like to be the one helping,…

Most students of the Bible are probably familiar with some of the events that took place after the death of king Solomon. He had succeeded his father David as king. When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king. However, the succession did not go very smoothly.   What kept the succession from going smoothly was a decision made by Rehoboam. His decision led to a division in the kingdom that was never repaired. As I recently read the account about the decision and how it was made for about the umpteenth time, I noticed something I had never noticed before. (This would be a good place for a quick reminder about the importance of continuing…

Yes, I know that’s not how the song goes. (I am writing this article during Vacation Bible School week, after all!) However, a recent news story gave me a great reminder of that song–and, more importantly, the teaching from Jesus behind it. In New Hampshire, a group of sculptors recently gathered for a contest. First prize was a $6000 cash award, with smaller awards for various other places. The sculptures are quite remarkable. As someone who has zero artistic ability, looking at these creations is remarkable. However, the sculptures will only be around…until Sunday. Why such a short time? Are the creators taking them home? Are the winning creations going…

We’ve all seen it. Some of us have done it. It seems that some of us are still doing it. When a small child is doing it, those of us who are older seem to have two reactions. On the one hand, we “chalk it up” to immaturity. At the same time, we hope that, with proper discipline (including instruction, training, and appropriate punishment), the behavior will become a thing of the past.   For some, the exact behavior may, indeed, become a thing of the past. Unfortunately, for others, the attitude that the behavior represents is never outgrown. Many seem to exhibit the same attitude throughout their entire lives. What is the “it” that I’m thinking…