Yesterday, I preached my last sermon at my 30th Interim Pastorate. The church called a Pastor by a unanimous vote. I always tell the prospective pastor that I wish for him at least one negative vote. That way, every time he approaches the pulpit, he looks at the congregation and wonders who voted against him. …
I love everything about Cracker Barrel, from the logo of an old man sitting in a rocking chair, and leaning on a barrel, to the triangular wooden game with holes and golf tees, to the menu, to the sale items that one described as, “a garage sale with food.” Now the new CEO has decided to…
A Three-Year Old Response The fact that Jesus loved children is clearly established in scripture – Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 19:14). I just worder how He would have reacted to my three-year old great granddaughter, Joanna…
Last week Joanne and I celebrated sixty-one years of “I do’s.” Included in those sixty-one were a few “I dang sure do” years as well as a few “I don’t know why, I just do” years. Then there were the “Rinky dinky do” years and the “Doodle de, do, da” years,” and a few “Whoop de…
Last week, I submitted a manuscript for book number twenty-eight – that is authored, co-authored, or compiled. It reminded me that my first book, “EvangeLife” was published in 1984. When one publishes his or her first book, they tend to acknowledge a lot of people from family members to teachers, to coaches, to counselors, to best friends. Among…
As I passed the lake near my house last week and saw a large number of ducks, it reminded me of two things. First, another well-used piece of advice from my High School Baseball Coach – “Ducks on the pond.” In baseball terminology, that means there are runners on base and the batter has the…
“This will only last for twenty-five minutes” said the technician last Friday, as if that would comfort me. I was about to endure my first nuclear stress test, and I had not slept much the night before. In addition, I had not been allowed to eat for twelve hours. Part of me was proud that I had made…
Some call them “Life Verses” while others give then different names – these Scripture verses that one discovers in the tough times of life; that become more than just daily Bible verses. I was fifteen years old, laying in a Houston Hospital bed with a broken second vertebrae of my neck and a broken future,…
I am compiling a book on Advice with a different bit of advice each day. I have learned that much advice takes many words, but some of the best advice takes only four words: • Think before you speak. • No pain, no gain. • Go with the flow. • Be still and know (Psalm…
This week Americans will celebrate our independence on July 4. While we are independent from tyranny, we must remain dependent on the Trinity – God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. For my non-American readers, while we have no desire to wrap the Gospel in red, white, and blue, we do invite you to celebrate…