Is there any greater feeling than your young daughter running outside to greet you after a long day saying, “Up-hug Daddy, up-hug!”? Or being challenged to a wrestling match by your boys immediately upon walking through the door? These are what I call glimpses of God’s glory in this life, the blessing of children, of marriage and family.
The glimpses can get lost in the burden of raising children. The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s latest annual “Cost of Raising a Child” report documented the average cost to be ...read on
He thought he had marriage figured out. After all, with five divorces in his family he had seen good examples of how not to do marriage. The reason for the divorce always seemed to come down to one or two issues - finances and sexual incompatibility. The young man surmised he could manage those two issues – he would complete his education and get a good job to provide well for his family; and he would live with his girlfriend a year or so to ensure they were compatible. It was a good plan until ... read on
All was not proceeding as anticipated. He had been overlooked, bypassed for a promotion again! Thoughts that maybe he was with the wrong company began to percolate as his career floundered. In a discussion with his manager, it was suggested that his perspective was skewed by ambition. The ambition was seen as a positive quality but the manager encouraged him to be patient and focus on the job in front of him. He was assured all would work out.
Over the last several weeks we have discussed “news being news because it’s news” and how noisy it is getting in the world with the election year in full swing, the polarization of politics, media sensationalism and the stirring up of issues with an agenda to divide our society.
We know that the devil thrives on chaos and division. We also know that he cannot stand ...read on
Is it noisy enough for you? Two national conventions stirring up politics of polarization have given the national media plenty of opportunity to be loud. Local law enforcement facing challenges in several cities across the country and another ISIS terror attack somewhere in the world all seem to have the volume ever increasing. Noisy indeed!
An old Billy Joel song comes to mind. The chorus lyrics include, “We didn’t start the fire. It’s been burnin’ since the world’s been turnin’.” ...read on
Fighting through the chemo attacking the stage IV Melanoma, the pain was intense. When visiting my brother in the hospital, I saw a pain chart on the wall that had a smiley face at the top, a frown face on the bottom and several in between reflecting progressive expressions. The nurse explained to me that they used the chart to manage the pain with drugs - it was important for the patient to not waste any energy fighting the pain. Whatever energy a patient has needs to be focused on fighting the cancer.
What a powerful analogy for Christians in this world. There is cancer in society that is causing a lot of pain. There are agendas given voice through a willing media stirring up the pain. ...read on
“News is news because it’s news.” Those were the wise words spoken by Harold Ensley, The Sportsman’s Friend in Kansas City, Missouri, forty-plus years ago at a high school baccalaureate service. The message referred to the increasing power granted to the media to influence opinion and mind-sets. The reminder was that news by definition is the exception however sensationally it is presented. The challenge put forth was ...read on
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Just over 240 years ago the Founding Fathers of these United States of America rebuked the tyrannical rule of the King of Great Britain with the signing of the Declaration of Independence. With their signatures, they documented “firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence” and mutually pledged “to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” Life-giving indeed to the generations that followed!
We have had our share of ups and downs as a nation trying to live into those powerful words, the convictions of our Founding Fathers. Today, “life” in America is more about ...read on
After three weeks in the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado, away from newspapers, the Internet and only intermittent phone service it has been tough returning to the noise level of the real world. The focus the last several weeks has been on tuning in to Christ to a new level in His creation with fathers & daughters and fathers & sons while hiking through some of His most beautiful country.
As I work to navigate through the election-year noise this week I am reminded of how my son and I helped several young men that had never backpacked in the mountains ascend 2500 feet ...read on
One of the most frustrating statistics on the fathering front is that less than one in ten families attending church weekly have any spiritual discussion in the home between Sundays. This lack of leadership gives the world more influence than we realize and the result rests square on the shoulders of dads!
All was not proceeding as anticipated. He had been overlooked, bypassed for a promotion again! Thoughts that maybe he was with the wrong company began to percolate as his career floundered. In a discussion with his manager, it was suggested that his perspective was skewed by ambition. The ambition was seen as a positive quality but the manager encouraged him to be patient and focus on the job in front of him. He was assured all would work out.
