"Well, I suwannee!" I remember saying that when I was in seminary in Boston, and the reaction from folks not from the South was, let's just say, interesting. "What does THAT mean?" was the common question. I confess I took pleasure in pouring on the Southernisms in Boston to the point that one, sincere, young…
I "tweet" now and again. Mostly it's my social media assistant who tweets out the daily devotional to give as many people as possible access to the daily ministry. And I confess that, sometimes, I read the tweets of others and think "What could possibly make this person think what they are saying is helpful…
Ouch! That hurt! It wouldn’t have hurt anymore if he’d actually hit me with his fists. He had confronted me with the reality that my words had so offended his friend that that friend didn’t want anything to do with God anymore. Oh No!
I was young and foolish (of course now I’m old and…
What do you think is the opposite of love? The easy answer is hate but that isn’t even close. Because hate takes attention and focus and (usually) preoccupation with the object of your hate.
And the truth is love takes the same. To love something or someone takes attention, focus, and even preoccupation with the object…
One of the questions I get often from parents trying to raise children in a society and culture that seems to have been reduced to sand. This reduction has occurred as we moderns have allowed the deconstruction of timeless wisdom preserved for centuries, all in the name of being relevant or even “compassionate.”
My answer…
The dictionary defines the word “obligation” as “an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.” When I was growing up, my mother taught me that I wasn’t free to do what I wanted until I did what I must. In other words, I had…
Hey, we were kids! And it was Christmas morning AND our parents were still asleep AND it was a snow cone maker AND there were sugary syrup packets! What did you expect was going to happen? Well, let’s just say that after THAT Christmas morning a general rule was firmly established: No opening presents UNTIL…
She just rolled her eyes. I'm getting that more and more from my 12 year old lately! Sure, I had just used one of my old, worn out Dad sayings, one of my favorites when I say that everyone would be happier if they would all just do as I say!
She thinks I'm silly, and…
Jesus gave us many promises as he preached and taught during His ministry. The problem is we want to pay attention to the "happy" promises like "ask, and it shall be given to you." We have a bit more trouble hearing this promise to us from Jesus: "If the persecuted me, they will persecute you…
When I am at peace with the direction of my life I find that restfulness spills over onto those around me. But that makes perfect sense. After all, we constantly pray in the liturgy "For our deliverance from all affliction, wrath, danger, and necessity, let us pray to the Lord. Lord, have mercy." Freed from…