Last week our two daughters, accompanied by our two older grandkids and a few friends, led a small group to South Texas to help some families hit hardest by the recent hurricanes. They shared much-needed supplies they had collected and offered their encouragements. I’m sure those they visited in their homes were blessed. But, from…
Is being patient merely being lazy? Is saying we’re waiting on God no more than an excuse for irresponsible living? Throughout the Bible believers are called to wait patiently on the Lord. But there is a big difference between godly and ungodly patience. Sometime patience is ungodly. How can you tell the difference? Our Lord…
Pain will certainly make you bitter or better. What’s it doing to you? Don’t waste your pain. Give it purpose. Make your pain, problem, or heartache work for you not against you. In Philip Yancey’s helpful book, Pain: The Gift Nobody Wants, he reminds us that pain and suffering have meaning if viewed properly.…
My granddad was an angry and bitter man. During the summer as a little boy, I visited him and my grandma on their farm in Virginia. Granddad was a big man. I remember how frightened I was when I saw him slap Mammy, his petite wife, for doing the smallest thing he didn’t like. I’d…
What my Mama said to me the night I overheard her and my Daddy talking about not being able to pay all their bills surprised me. As a small boy, I knew we were poor, but I didn’t know we were that poor. Mama was a Sunday School teacher in our little church. She always…
The unwanted but permanent images of the brutal beheadings of faithful Christians by Islamic Extremists have been etched into our minds. In the face of such horror, we hear a repeated question from Christians and non-Christians. “How do they remain faithful to Christ while facing suffering and death? The question is not new. Since…
How can you “hang in there” when you are continually bombarded by physical, moral, and social attacks? Do you sometimes feel like just throwing in the towel? How can you remain faithful and peaceful no matter what? My wife can speak with her hands. She knows American Sign Language (ASL). She taught me that…
3 Reasons to be SILENT in the Face of Pain. Minutes after my sweet mother passed away, her pastor called to let me know Mama unexpectedly died from a stroke. I caught the first plane home. A large crowd had gathered in Mama’s living room. As I was about to enter, I remember thinking, “The…
Storm is over. Loss of Loved Ones is Not. What you SHOULD and SHOULD NEVER say to someone who hurts. The massive 2016 NE blizzard is over, but the loss of loved ones is not. It reminds us to always be prepared when you want to say something to someone suffering a devastating loss. It…
Gratitude is not natural. Are you or someone you love going through a frightening, stormy time right now? In such times, at first glance some scriptures just don’t seem right. How are you supposed to “Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20)? Bitterness, self-pity,…