Quiet Time

Quiet time I think our culture needs a time out….a quiet time out.  This morning, EARLY this morning, I’m reading,  praying, thinking…and in my ears is noise all around. The neighbors next door fighting, the neighbors behind me hollering at their kids, dogs barking in response, airplanes flying overhead, will you all please be quiet! …

Alone

One of the grim realities of life is that we are alone. In the middle of a busy city with others all around we are alone. … This “aloneness” is one of the results of the fall, but is mostly ignored by writers. We simply don’t talk about it. Man, designed to be in constant …

Relationships

As I work my way through life, through marriage, through parenting, and through God’s word I am keenly aware of one thing…. ALL of life is about relationship. Relationship with God. Relationship with my wife. Relationship with kids, and grandkids. Relationship with PEOPLE! People are everywhere and if I’m going to survive well I have …

Heart Direction

“May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.” 2 Thes. 3:5. I’m fascinated by this short, simple verse. It’s a prayer of Paul for those suffering in Thessalonica. I would have prayed “May the Lord direct your minds…” but Paul prays for heart direction. There is …

A New Year

A new year. A fresh start. Hope for better things. Desire for change. It was just another day. It wasn’t anything special in the grand scheme of things, but we have made calendars so for us it was the start of something new. Another year, a new beginning, fresh hopes. Maybe this year….. A new …

Christmas Thoughts

This year, to be honest, my hearts not into Christmas. I’m not excited about it. In fact I’m feeling rather a Scrooge about the whole thing. I could easily go into a monologue about consumerism and how crazy it is to spend money for gifts while we lose sight of the real meaning of the …

Hard Hearts And Stiff Necks

There are two things I see in scripture that cause us problems- hard hearts and stiff necks. Hard hearts describe people who are insensitive to God’s voice and untouched by his work in their lives. They simply don’t see or sense him, his voice, or his conviction. Stiff necks describe people who are, even knowing …

Abounding Grace

God’s grace is a big deal to me. It’s the most important thing to understand in all that God has provided in Christ. Many, by not understanding it, have resorted to works to please God and frankly God is not at all pleased by that response. He has provided grace and wants us to live …

He Never Lets Go

Do you remember the thrill of being spun around by your dad? Do you remember how exciting it was? Never a worry about him letting go. He’s your dad, he would never do that. The thought never crossed our minds. We simply enjoyed the thrill and excitement of the ride. How have we lost that …