Do you have the heart to be a genuine Valentine? The traditional sentiments float across store shelves and into mailboxes--be mine, I love you, I'm yours, etc. We purchase knick knacks and cards for friends, family, and those whose company we enjoy. But these gifts fall short of a true Valentine…
My childhood days at the beach included wading as far into the ocean as my tiptoes allowed. My father, brother, and I peered across the glimmering water's surface toward the oncoming swells. We sprang over mild waves, sharing a grin between them. Moderate heights demanded a bit more focus for a…
"Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, 'Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?'” - Isaiah44:19-20 Several bags of candy lurk in my house. I won't divulge where I hid these treats from my family. The loot stash must remain…
“'Eat it today,' Moses said, 'because today is a sabbath to the LORD'" (Exodus 16:25). We've all heard the terrible story of Titanic's victims who forfeited dessert to save their figure. Though I don't advocate gluttony or any other sort of hedonism, each day has it's own sweet opportunities. The gift loses…
Recent stay-cations underscored there's truly no place like my home. Fresh seafood, sugary beaches, and fabulous resorts set the scene here. We have more theme parks, museums, and attractions in a two hour radius than any other destination. We boast sun kissed berries and year-round veggies. Our roads never ice over.…
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." --John 10:10 I played soccer worse than any kid in junior high--not an exaggeration. No one passed the ball to me on purpose, but one deflected kick sent it…
"Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will send you out to fish for people.'” - Matthew 4:18-19 I often look back on my life and wonder if I wasted it beyond retrieval.…
"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word" (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17). Joey's leg brace dug into the earth as he walked home from school. Bubba and his pack…
As the thirteen-year-old girl settled into an empty seat near me this morning, I wondered if I should tell her. She folded her blonde locks over one shoulder--growing into a lovely and graceful young lady. The sentiment stirred my attention away from the sermon several times. Do you know just how…
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'” Romans 8:15 The term father draws a myriad of emotions from the heart, each one dependent upon past and present relationships.…