It’s Thanksgiving Day 2014, and I’m thankful for so many blessings I don’t have time to list them all here in one little article. There’s an older Christian hymn called “Count Your Blessings”, and it reminds us to think about all the wonderful things in life instead of focusing on our troubles. And in America, we set aside a special day each year for … The rest of the story…
Have you ever read a book and gotten so involved you felt like you were right there with one or more of the characters? You could almost smell the new-mown grass they smelled. Or taste the full-bodied espresso in that bistro with the colorful, unframed paintings of sunsets by a local artist. In other words your mind filled up with word pictures. Imagine, if … The rest of the story…
I’ve had a number of brand new cars in my life. And I’ve enjoyed the luxury of a large house with plenty of nice furnishings. At times you could see I was not denying myself the pleasures of multiple performance tools like keyboards, computers, sound systems, and various accoutrements. (I always wanted to use that word somewhere) But all the “stuff” pales in comparison … The rest of the story…
One of the Proverbs in the Bible says “faithful are the wounds of a friend“. On the surface that can almost sound brutal, but it simply means friends tell the truth…even if we don’t always like it. When I toured the United States, playing music with my brother, sometimes we’d find ourselves dealing with someone who could smile to your face and virtually stab … The rest of the story…
Have you ever been in a situation where you just wished you could get a little understanding from someone and you weren’t getting it? If you’re a human being living on planet earth, I’m guessing you have. You’re certainly not alone in that situation. I know I could use a little understanding more times than I’d like to mention. And many times I didn’t … The rest of the story…
Psalm 38 has a line that says “But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.” The part about “any good thing” might be a matter of perspective…God’s perspective. From your perspective you might feel there are a number of good things you lack. But what makes up a “good thing”? Throughout the Bible you can see how God wants us all to have … The rest of the story…
When I was younger I remember hearing the expression, “you may have to eat some humble pie”. It was a common way of saying “you messed up and now you’d better man up”. Humility is an important part of spiritual growth and wisdom. I compare humility to a drive in the Rocky Mountains. If you’ve never been to the Rockies, you may not completely … The rest of the story…
Do you know what it means to give grace to others? Grace, according to one of the definitions in the dictionary, is the “free and unmerited favor of God“. No kidding…that’s actually in the dictionary. Who’d’ve thunk it? Well, since that definition says it’s of (or from) God, can we mere humans know what it’s like to give grace to others? If we’re to … The rest of the story…
When you get right down to it, it’s pretty easy to get mad at someone. Right? And I mean anyone. No one is born with a natural immunity to anger. So, each person needs to be fortified with something stronger and better than “self”. For Christians this is easier because we know we have the Word of God. And if you don’t already have … The rest of the story…
Are you fooling yourself about what’s important? No matter how much you achieve in this life…no matter what you build, or attain, or receive…no matter how many people you know… …if you don’t have the Source of Life in you, you’re merely fooling yourself to think all is well. No, you are dead and will always remain that way. But that fate is avoidable. … The rest of the story…
