Life happens…although not always the way we want it to. Sometimes we’re surprised by amazing events beyond our wildest expectations. Other times, we’re blindsided by our worst nightmares come true. When that happens, do you get mad at God? After all, He’s sovereign,...
By most people’s standards, I picked the wrong word for 2018. For several years now, instead of making new year's resolutions, I've practiced selecting one word to focus on each year. Actually, it’s not so much that I select the word, it’s more that it’s the word I...
It starts with a flitting thought. So quick, by the time I realize what it is, it’s gone. But when it returns, it lingers a bit. And I dwell on it a few moments longer. Then I find myself rationalizing as to why The Thought is not so bad. In the deep recesses of my...
June is traditionally the month for weddings. All the planning and expenses come together for a grand beginning as two people join their lives together. If only we put as much effort into preparing for the marriage as we do preparing for the wedding. For most of my...
Wildlife has been especially wild lately. Although June is barely two weeks old, a decapitated rattlesnake bit a Texas man. An alligator killed a Florida woman. And in Minnesota, an unidentified wild animal killed a five-year-old boy. Last month a hungry cougar killed...
Suffering is hard. So we work just as hard—if not harder—to avoid it. We don’t want to talk about it. And we run away from it. We devise detours that often end up causing even more complications. Of course, no one wants to suffer. It’s even more difficult when we have...
What’s one of the most common reasons we give for not forgiving others? If you’re like many people, you might have answered that our forgiveness implies approval or tolerance of the behavior. We read about it, talk about it, and teach it. Yet for most of us, forgiving...
Is it possible to age gracefully? What does that even mean? Been thinking recently about aging. It may have something to do with the fact that I’ve reached another milestone birthday. In a culture that worships youth, I wonder how long it will be before I become a...
When we relocated from the northeast to Florida, one of the things we missed most was the change of seasons. Native Floridians quickly advised us that instead of winter, spring, summer, and fall, our seasons are snowbird, love bug, summer, and hurricane. While the...
Have you recently experienced frustration? Something or someone irritated you? Plans didn’t go your way? That seems to be happening more lately. Increased seasonal traffic annoys me. People who don’t follow through on what they said they would do end up frustrating...
Six Steps to Speaking the Truth in Love Ever been attacked by someone who wields truth like a club? I have. And...
The Order of Submission If ever a word could be identified as an emotional trigger, it’s submission. And if...
Christians and National Cookie Month Did you know October is National Cookie Month? Not that I need an excuse...