Posted: January 19, 2023
Here’s what I know about prayers: God always answers them. Always. Some of you might disagree with me but here’s what I know about God: He is faithful. What some people call an unanswered prayer, I call a prayer answered in a way people do not want the prayer answered—in other words, God said No.
Continue Reading “Safe Prayers”
Category: Blog
Posted: January 12, 2023
Jesus told a parable about vineyard laborers (1) who were mad about getting paid the amount they had agreed to—you heard me right: they were mad about getting paid the amount they had agreed to 😦—and one point to the story is this: 1) Stop comparing what you have with what others have. But there
Continue Reading “Keeping Score”
Category: Blog
Posted: January 5, 2023
Once upon a time, a man—let’s call him Carl—was building a restaurant but needed some laborers to help with the construction of it. One morning, a little before 7 a.m. he went out looking for people to hire. He found many willing and they all agreed to work (7 to 6) for $200. Everyone was
Continue Reading “Fair Treatment”
Category: Blog
Posted: December 29, 2022
It’s that time again—where we resolve to be better people. We make our lists. We vow to change. It’s the starter conversation for many. So, I will go ahead and ask the question: What’s your New Year’s Resolution? But before you answer, let me caution . . . we generally do it all wrong. 😦
Continue Reading “Resolutions”
Category: Blog
Posted: December 22, 2022
Zacchaeus, that short, rich chief tax collector, “was seeking to see who Jesus was.” (1) I like little Zacch for that reason. Few people are doing that, you know—“seeking to see who Jesus [is].” Oh, many celebrate his birth during this season, but few truly seek to know who he is. But here’s the interesting
Continue Reading “Seeking Jesus”
Category: Blog
Posted: December 15, 2022
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing . . .” (1) And let’s just pause right there because the root word “bless” is mentioned three times already! The first blessed means “to speak well of,” to praise. Here Paul is praising
Continue Reading “Spiritual Blessings”
Category: Blog
Posted: December 8, 2022
Remember the rich young man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to inherit eternal life? He was a good man who had kept all the commandments since he was a youth. We might say the rich young man had a “blessed” life. Some might even conclude that the one thing preceded the other—that
Continue Reading “Blessed: Part Two”
Category: Blog
Posted: December 1, 2022
Recently, I read the biographies of staff members at a particular church. Every minister included this fact: “God has blessed us with (fill in the blank with a number) children.” Which gave me pause. I have no children. Would it be proper to write in my bio that Mark and I are blessed with no
Category: Blog
Posted: November 24, 2022
TRUE STORY I called my favorite grocery store to place an order for lemon pepper chicken wings—my “go to” quick and easy dinner. I asked if they could have the wings ready at 4:30 and the man on the phone said, “No problem.” I arrived at 4:30, walked over to the counter and waited. And
Continue Reading “The Young Man Stared at Me Blankly”
Category: Blog
Posted: November 17, 2022
Paul wrote to Philemon about Onesimus and had this to say: “Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.” (1) You see, Onesimus was a thief and a runaway slave. He fled to escape sure punishment because he had stolen from his owner Philemon. And
Continue Reading “Becoming Useful”
Category: Blog
