The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. (Psalm 34:17 NIV) Have you ever lost your voice? Sometimes when we catch a bug—or when we yell, shout, or sing too much—we temporarily lose the ability to speak or sing. A dear friendContinue Reading
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. (Colossians 3:2 NIV) As I write this it is the day after Thanksgiving. Yesterday we had 17 people around the table for dinner – mostly out-of-state family who came in for the holiday. Today we are in recovery. We don’tContinue Reading
Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root. (Isaiah 11:1 NLT) Delayed hope makes one sick at heart, but a fulfilled longing is a tree of life. (Proverbs 13:12 GW) A tree stump is a representation ofContinue Reading
His master replied, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! (Matthew 25:21 NLT) As I write this I am reflecting on more than six decades of farming.Continue Reading
He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate—bringing forth food from the earth: wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts. (Psalm 104:14-15 NIV) Come, ye thankful people, come,Raise the song of harvest home;All is safelyContinue Reading
Greatness, power, splendor, glory, and majesty are yours, Lord, because everything in heaven and on earth is yours. The kingdom is yours, Lord, and you are honored as head of all things. (1 Chronicles 29:11 GW) Today I invite you to make a list of things you are thankful for. The followingContinue Reading
I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare;before they spring into being I announce them to you. (Isaiah 42:8-9 NIV) Last Wednesday night before the service, our church had a (competitive) chili cook-off inContinue Reading
Bring to an end the violence the wicked and make the righteous secure— you, the righteous God who probes minds and hearts. (Psalm 7:9 NIV) When I was in grad school, I met a man originally from Nigeria. His first doctorate was in military science, but while he was inContinue Reading
The God who sits on his throne in heaven laughs. (Psalm 2:4 NIRV) Have you laughed recently? Like, a really deep belly laugh? Like, so hard you were tearing up and could barely breathe? If an event comes to mind, that’s great! When was the last time before that? IfContinue Reading
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:13–14 NIV) Today my firstborn celebrates his “Golden Birthday” – his 21st birthday on the 21st. It’s amazing how in certain moments of parenting youContinue Reading