Do you know how much God cares about you? I mean, how much He cares about you personally, and not just as part of the world He created? I was thinking this morning about how God cares for us so much, He anticipates our needs even before we ask (Matthew 6:8). Sometimes He sends the …
One recent afternoon I was doing a little craft project for which I used a hot glue gun. The glue stuck to my fingers, along with the matted residue of what I was gluing, making quite a mess of my hands! It reminded me of the time I was using superglue as a kid, and …
As I looked out our window one recent evening, layers of billowy clouds fringed with light from the setting sun reminded me of Psalm 113:3, that says from the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised. When we awake in the morning, we can choose our …
On a recent neighborhood walk, I was amused to see an iconic banana peel lying on the sidewalk. Where do you see that outside of the slip-and-fall cliche in cartoons? Apparently the #BananaPeelChallenge went viral on social media five years ago, and many teens injured themselves attempting to replicate the 100,000+ social media likes one …
Ever had something wonderful happen in your life—something so good you could hardly believe it was happening? Maybe it was a great achievement, the birth of a child, or some other fortuitous event of significance. An oft-repeated theme in movies features an ordinary person who is either notified of an obscene inheritance or identified as …
As a preschooler, I bore a remarkable likeness to my big brother at that age. One day back then, a sepia family portrait on the wall caught my eye. I proudly pointed to the youngest male and proclaimed, “That’s ME!” Imagine my shock when my only brother, seven years older, remarked, “No it’s not. That’s …
To love my neighbor as myself, the implication’s clear; It will not work to hate myself, to be of any cheer. What does it take to reconcile conflicts hid deep within? How do I mute that voice inside, accusing me again? That critic harsh knows me too well; and crouching, lies in wait Until a …
Your favorite football team is five points behind their opponent in the final 30 seconds of the 4th quarter. While in possession of the ball they are only progressing a few yards at a time, and with the clock rapidly running down, theirs seems to be a lost cause. Opposing fans are beginning to high-five …
Times like the start of new year, birthdays, and funerals frequently prompt reflective thinking. They can serve as catalysts for personal change, as we compare our current situation with where we’d like to be. I used to push New Year’s resolutions. Some years I subjected our whole family to collective half-day goal-setting sessions in early …
Years ago I was not what you would call “pro-exercise.” I even found a supporting verse in the Bible: For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things (1 Timothy 4:8a KJV). Clearly, it was better to be godly than a jock. Who wants to sweat, anyway? I mean, isn’t that the …
