Thu

May

17

2012

Shepherd Bites

Looking into the eyes of the young man across the lunch table from me, I saw what I’ve had the unfortunate experience of seeing too many times before.  He’d just completed a year at a Christian College which I know to be legalistic, manipulative and saddled with a history of compromised leadership.  This disillusioned young man is not even fully aware of what has happened in his deflated, defeated thinking but, thank God, he left the school early and won’t be going back.  I’ve seen this happen many times before and I never get used to it.  Later in the …

Continue Reading:
Shepherd Bites

Join the discussion: 2 Comments Categories: Church Life, General, Leadership, Legalism

Wed

May

16

2012

That Friend With Whom You’ve Lost Touch

What’s the current temperature in your pressure cooker?  It’s ironic that we who live in a world of advanced technology which is supposed to breed unprecedented convenience, instead find ourselves battling stress amidst others who have already lost that battle.  I have perceived that I have less energy but more demand than ever before.  Many of you have duties that are increasing and available time that is recessing at the same moment.  Diagnose thine self:  are you increasingly irritable? do you seek to find the first soft piece of furniture at the end of a long day so you can …

Continue Reading:
That Friend With Whom You’ve Lost Touch

Join the discussion: 4 Comments Categories: General, Humor, joy, Victory

Tue

May

15

2012

Thoughts On Confrontation

So the two presidential candidates have drawn a line in the sand on the issue of America’s definition of marriage.  The topic itself is very interesting to me due to the fact that two-thirds of Americans believe that marriage should be reserved for a man and woman yet, due to a rabidly liberal media bias, we are being led to believe that we and our nine closest friends are the only ones who want to keep things heterogenized.  A friend recently asked me if I would address the following issue in one of my posts and I thought today was …

Continue Reading:
Thoughts On Confrontation

Join the discussion: 3 Comments Categories: General

Mon

May

14

2012

Gifted

Last week, prior to Mother’s Day, I found myself doing what I don’t often do well: waiting.  There was some perfume I wanted to get my lady for Mother’s Day and I was told by the salesperson that the bottle could be engraved with a personal note to Amy for no extra charge.  They showed me some samples of the engraved bottles and I really thought it was a nice touch.  Over to the side of the sales counter was a little table where an elderly couple sat across from each other.  The wife was looking through a magnifying lens …

Continue Reading:
Gifted

Join the discussion: 3 Comments Categories: Humility

Sun

May

6

2012

Little Break

Sometimes the water in a well either runs dry or goes a little stale.  I have begun to sense that occurring in my thinking and writing so I’m going to take a small break from the blog for a few days, maybe up to a week.  My hope is that a little physical rest and mental refreshing will assist me and help facilitate some sharper thought.  Check back here in a few days or whenever you feel compelled.  All is well with me – I just don’t want to go through the motions as I endeavor in communicating God’s precious …

Continue Reading:
Little Break

Join the discussion: 3 Comments Categories: General

Wed

May

2

2012

Who Lied To You And Told You That You Were In Control?

The thing that is bigger than you controls you.  You are aware that you are not the largest, strongest, prettiest, smartest, holiest, deepest, most lasting, most powerful or most successful.  Each of us bows to something and that thing becomes our inevitable master.  It shapes our ideas, anchors our values, motivates our decisions, orders our actions and eventually directs the entire course of our lives.  Let’s admit it: there is something which controls us and our journeys on earth are dominated by that primary influence of our thoughts and actions.  So what is the big thing that owns you?  I’m …

Continue Reading:
Who Lied To You And Told You That You Were In Control?

Join the discussion: 4 Comments Categories: Fear, Salvation, Worship

Tue

May

1

2012

What Do You Do With All That Mercy You’ve Received?

My little boy was my instructor last night around 9 PM.  He’s been devouring a new “bible” that I bought him and placed in his little hands on Saturday with the promise of $50 if he reads the whole thing.  It’s not an actual bible but more of a pictorial book which gives a very broad summary of scriptural accounts in a cartoon book format with age-appropriate illustrations.  I highly recommend it if you want a young boy or teenager to take an interest in God’s word in the future.  It’s called The Action Bible and Landon proclaimed with a …

Continue Reading:
What Do You Do With All That Mercy You’ve Received?

Join the discussion: 2 Comments Categories: Forgiveness, Relationships