Pastor Appreciation Month is celebrated in October each year. a practice which began in 1992 when initiated by “Focus on the Family” and has since become a widely practiced time when we make special efforts to show how much we appreciate our pastor. While it has been expanded to include appreciation of all clergy, the…
Four mornings a week we gathered early behind The Chicken Shack in Waco, Texas to commute to Seminary. We came from different directions geographically and theologically, piled into one car and for the next eighty-five miles, finished our night’s sleep. all except the driver, of course, arriving on campus just in time for a quick…
Lately I’ve been feeling like a King. Let me explain. Several weeks ago, we received a phone call for my wife from the Alumni Office at our alma mater, Howard Payne University. Not sure how many other universities do this, but we elect two Queens at every fall Homecoming – one is the student Homecoming…
A lot of things are happening earlier these days. Last week I attended my great-grandson’s football game. He is in the first grade and its flag football, but they have cheerleaders, so it’s almost real. My first year to play football was in the fifth grade. We wore uniforms with shoulder pads and helmets, and we tackled. Other than…
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…