I’m writing this Manna on December 7, to be posted the following Monday. The fact that my best High School friend was born on this day is significant to me. The fact that this is Pearl Harbor Day, always made it easy to remember that this was also his birthday. He was only twenty-three days…
I watched a lot of football over the Thanksgiving holidays. Sadly, I saw three (or was it four) visiting teams demonstrate their victory by taunting the losing opponent, resulting in large fights between players and coaches. When you win a game on the opponent’s home field, there is a right way to win and there…
On this American Thanksgiving Week, here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving quotes, Feel free to add yours to my list. “What if today we were just grateful for everything?” Charlie Brown “I think there is a better thing than thanksgiving: thanks-living. How is this to be done? By a general cheerfulness of manner,…
Last week I attended a church convention where many of my former seminary students were also in attendance as well as numerous other friends. Having spent a career ministering and teaching at both the college and Seminary level as well as serving twenty-nine churches as Interim Pastor, not to mention friends made while traveling the world,…
Every pastor (or Interim Pastor) needs a deacon like Stephen. I had him twice. Not only was he an Attorney but was repeatedly re-elected as a County Judge. A life-long resident of his home- town, he was a forty-year Sunday School Teacher at his Church. That’s where I met him. He was the Chairman of the Deacons. I was the Interim…
We’ve come here from the north, east, south and west to this place, but one of these days we’re going to gather in a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Corinthians 5:1). We’ve driven over well-worn roads, if only from airport to airport, but one of these days we’re going to…
I’ve been on the road this past week. There comes a time when kids want all that stuff that has been stored at their parent’s house. They finally get a home that is large enough and has storage space, and they request their belongings. So, I loaded hundreds, or, maybe it was thousands, of baseball cards, as well…
Following a recent presentation, a young man wanted to know if I had time for him to ask me a question. When I agreed that I had time, he asked his question – “What do you do when someone criticizes you?” A lot of questions need time to think through an answer before responding. Some that need time,…
As major league baseball season winds down and professional ice hockey season begins, I am reminded of something that happened a few years ago. I was on sabbatical leave, teaching at the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary in Alberta, Canada. The Canadian national newspaper carried an interesting editorial heavily criticizing the United States for stealing Canada’s…
Friends read what you write. Special friends not only read what you write, but they share your words with their friends. Phil is one such a special friend. For many years, I have written an October issue of my Monday Morning Manna on the subject of Pastor Appreciation, since October is Pastor Appreciation Month. This month, my…