Monday, June 24, 2024
“Chin up, shoulders back, and back straight!” These instructions are often given to military recruits, athletes, and fashion models. Not a few slouching kids have heard similar words from a mom or dad at some point also! It’s all about posture. Poor posture is increasingly causing health problems for people in our culture. Desktop computers, […]
Tuesday, June 18, 2024
Most people I’ve encountered express a desire to grow in life—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, relationally, and professionally. It’s a rare person who’s happy just the way they are. However, translating the desire to grow into reality is quite a different matter. Why? Because growth is hard. Growth requires changing long-set habits and patterns. Growth involves deeper […]
Wednesday, May 29, 2024
One of the wisest things we can do in life is to live in ways that reduce our regrets. While it’s impossible to completely avoid all the “I wish I had or hadn’t” life experiences, it’s possible to build things into our lives we’re sure we’ll never regret. I was thinking recently about some of my […]
Monday, October 16, 2023
“Graceful” is used to describe lots of things. We speak of a ballerina gracefully executing a perfect pirouette, an athlete gracefully gliding through the air to score, a host gracefully welcoming guests with warmth and poise, or a speaker gracefully communicating their message with kindness and diplomacy. Graceful people are great people to be around. […]
Friday, June 23, 2023
Mark 1:10, 11 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Down is an interesting word. It’s used to […]
Friday, October 6, 2017
Recently my wife and I were at a casual dining restaurant for a quick meal when the “catastrophe” happened. As I was reaching into a tray for a piece of bread, I accidentally hit the tray cover that was loosely connected to the tray. In a flash, the plastic cover fell onto a stack of […]
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
There are many critical steps on the road to spiritual growth and maturity. These steps, if navigated well, significantly propel you forward. Giving is one of these steps. The decision to become a giver is one of the most important ones you can make. It takes your life to a new level. Becoming a giver […]
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Asking is a big part of life. Every day we make certain requests of people based on our needs and wants, and on our perception of their ability and willingness to respond. Asking is also a big part of our relationship with God. It’s a central element in prayer. While prayer includes much more than […]
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Anyone familiar with the game of golf is also familiar with a term learned early and used often, especially by new (or “not so good”) players. It’s the word “Mulligan.” While there are several explanations for the origin of this phrase and its connection to golf, it’s used when a golfer makes a bad shot […]
Wednesday, August 9, 2017
Have you ever wondered if a situation was too far gone for help? Does something you hoped for now seem hopeless? All too often, usually without realizing it, we put limits on God. We judge something as hopeless too quickly and too frequently. Many miracles that are meant for us remain in the ”warehouses” of […]
Thursday, August 3, 2017
A few weeks ago, my grandson, Levi came and asked me to tie his shoes. It was somewhat of an unusual request because first, Levi never seems to be bothered by untied shoes! In fact, I often have to encourage him to tie them! Which leads to the second reason the request was out of […]
Monday, July 17, 2017
So many times in life we give up far too quickly. We prematurely judge something as over, dead, gone, done and finished. We’re holding funerals and burying things that Jesus wants to resurrect and restore. There’s a great story about Jesus’ power and willingness to resurrect and restore dead things in the Gospel of Luke. […]
Thursday, June 29, 2017
There are times we need fresh starts — new beginnings. Maybe you’ve gone through a difficult season, a tough experience, or an emotionally draining event. Perhaps life circumstances have exasperated and exhausted you. Something in you is longing or begging for an opportunity to begin again. We often attempt to satisfy these desires with superficial […]
Friday, June 9, 2017
There’s a basic life principle: What you hold on to, holds on to you. It works positively and negatively. If you hold on to anger, anger holds on to you. If you hold on to hope, hope holds on to you. And if you hold on to faith, faith will hold on to you! Look […]
Monday, April 24, 2017
Living with loss is something everyone faces in life. It might be the loss of a loved one, the loss of a friendship, the loss of a job, the loss of a dream, a business or financial loss, or the loss of health. Losses visit us all at some point. While any significant loss is […]
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her. “Because they have […]