Sharing in the Sufferings of Jesus
Sharing in the Sufferings of Jesus One Sunday morning I read these verses during my quiet time: My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. (Philippians 3:10-11) I was having a particularly bad morning. From the time I got out of bed until the moment I read these verses I had made the decision to {Read More}
Beaches – A Friend who Stuck for Life
Beaches – A Friend who Stuck for Life The tagline of Beaches, a 1988 film starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, says a lot: “Friends come and go but there’s always one you’re stuck with for life.” The film—which would be worth watching for the soundtrack alone—is about the lifelong friendship of two women who meet as kids on the beach in Atlantic City. Hillary Essex (Hershey) a budding debutante from San Francisco and CC Bloom (Midler) a New York {Read More}
An American’s Prayer
May our prayer be the same as one of the earliest citizens of the United States: Almighty GOD; we make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection, that thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States of America at large. And finally that Thou {Read More}
Seeing Christ in the Old Testament
The Jesus Moses Knew, Vicki Huffman’s latest book, shows us how to see Jesus–the pre-incarnate Christ–in many places in the Old Testament. Jesus didn’t just appear in the New Testament. Jesus had no beginning and will have no end. The Old Testament, like a prequel to a best-selling book, provides details we need for His backstory. He created all things. He walked and talked with Adam and Eve, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and many others. All this happened long before He {Read More}
Dogs and Grace
My grown daughter recently noted that she had never lived in a home without a dog. It reminded me that statistics show raising children with pets helps them learn responsibility and kindness. And adults with dogs generally live seven years longer and are less lonely in old age. Pet ownership is an outlet for giving and receiving love. We have two adopted fur-children. Our black shepherd mix, Elsa was about six months old when she crawled to us on her {Read More}
Piper & A Child of God
When I went to movies as a child, there was always a short film, a cartoon, or part of a serialized western before the main film. Now movies are longer and are preceded by previews of coming attractions, commercials for what the concession stand sells, and warnings to turn off your cell phone. So, when I took some of my grandchildren to last summer’s Finding Dory, I was thrilled to see a short animated feature from Pixar Studios. This {Read More}
Other Mothers
It has been a quarter century since my mother-in-law died and yet, in many ways, in seems like last month. Our family still uses her recipes and talks about her caring ways. We laugh about her funny expressions. A recent spring cool spell reminded me that I think she called that “blackberry winter.” Or something. There was a name for everything that happened because in 85 years of living she’d seen a lot happen. Yet I never saw her lose {Read More}
The Birds of Easter
Years ago in late summer we moved into a house that had been empty almost a year. When I opened the fireplace damper to see if it was operational, four dead birds fell out. That should have warned us that we needed to screen the chimney top. But we were busy with getting settled and put it off. In early spring I awoke to a clanging sound coming from downstairs. When I investigated, I found another bird caught in the {Read More}
My Bucket List
We used to say, “These are the things I’d like to do before I die.” However, after the movie The Bucket List was released in 2007, our jargon changed. That film prompted many to create their own list for the first time. Although the name may have changed, the idea has not. Time flies when we’re paying bills, and life continues on whether we take time to follow our dreams of what we want to accomplish before we die. I {Read More}
Help in Times of Trouble
Does God care about our everyday problems? My answer from experience is always a resounding, Yes. In 1993 I was attending Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY. I lived about 30 miles from the seminary, it was a long commute on class days. Anyone who has ever driven on I-64 through the Cochran Hill tunnels during rush hour knows that it’s not much fun. At this time I was driving a Chevy van with a mind of its own. Too often the {Read More}
