It is that time of year when parents are sending their older kids off to college. Bags are packed, boxes labeled and room decorations are purchased. Soon it’s time for that sweet note from mom or dad to be tucked away so they can read it after they...

With the Olympics in Japan this summer, we have all had our attention drawn to that ancient island nation. Known for its beauty and utilitarian society, it also well known for its various art forms. I heard about one recently. It is called...

For me, there ae two kinds of vacation trips. There is a resting trip (think nice hotel or cruise with room service and yummy food). And there is a learning trip (think about visiting a new country, exploring the culture, visiting museums and...

Not too long ago, I finished teaching a series out of the Book of James. I called it “James to the Twelve.” It was the first time I had ever taught that book of the Bible and boy was it convicting. James, the half-brother of Jesus did not pull any...

John Burroughs was an American naturalist and a nature essayist who wrote in the later part of the 19th century. At one point, he commented on the hawk. He observed that when the hawk was attacked by crows or kingbirds, the hawk does not retaliate....

Before the time of Socrates, there was a Greek philosopher named Empedocles. He was famous for discovering that air is a separate substance. But I think he is notable for his statement about the presence of God. He is credited with saying, “God is...

The other day, I was listening to a podcast of a local pastor and heard an amazing statement. He said that we are born looking like our parents, but we die “looking like” what we worship. He was asserting the power of influence. We become like...

In business and politics, compromise might be a good concept. But in the realm of spirituality, it is not. God’s standard is that we love, worship, and obey Him 100% of the time. His expectation is comprehensive and leaves no loop holes. But you...

We Americans pride ourselves on our independence. We cherish it (appropriately most of the time) and often embrace Sinatra’s “My Way” as our personal theme song. But as I stumbled across a story in the Old Testament, I am wondering if we ought to...

For the last 14 plus months we have all been hearing a great deal about COVID and how to retard its spread. We know that maintaining physical distance between people is a good thing. Covering our mouths seems to slow down the spread of the virus....

I just returned from a wonderful trip to Hawaii. I was frequently asked what I was doing on my vacation and I responded each time with : “sun, fun, read, food, repeat.” It was a great trip. But unfortunately, because of COVID restrictions, I wasn’t...

If you had the opportunity to write your own eulogy, what would it say?  What would you want to be known for? What is important to you? And how do those qualities show up in your everyday life? If we asked those same questions about the...