Last night, a band of dangerous thunderstorms moved through our area and brought with them high winds and tornados. It was a harrowing time for some people and the damage while isolated, was significant. As is typical of these times of natural destruction, the pain and destruction were deemed, “an act of God,” by media and others. It is interesting that God gets the blame […]
Jesus had a way of asking difficult questions. They were not difficult in the way an exam question might be, nor were they challenging in the way a hard trivia question is. Jesus’ questions were rarely looking only for information, rather he was probing for understanding. Jesus did not just ask, “what do you know?” He asked, “how is what you know becoming revelation to […]
During our honeymoon, my wife asked if we could please include a trip along Skyline Drive in Virginia. It is a beautiful trip through scenic woodlands along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The section we chose was about 15 miles long, and moments after beginning that portion of the trip, I was glad she suggested it. It was beautiful and being there with […]
“Don’t be afraid,” it is an easy thing to say, but how do you conquer the fear welling up inside you? What do you do when life brings circumstances that shake your world? Is there something you can do that is more than wishing you were not afraid? The answer is, undeniably, “Yes!” The first step to overcoming fear in our lives is to recognize […]
“The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” so say the classic words of the childhood story of the little chicken who clamored for attention. They are words we remember, and sadly, words we hear every day. There are numerous voices that attempt to speak into our thoughts and lives every day. Some speak blessing and hope, while others curses and fear. Some come with […]
I want to thank all of my subscribers and readers for their patience. I could list a number of things that have consumed my time, but the deeper reality is that I have been wrestling with inspiration, not merely the inspiration to sit at the computer and write, but the inspiration to have something of substance to say. The past two weeks, I was forced to […]
The past two days, my morning devotional readings were on the subject of encouragement. Specifically, they were focused on the value of being and encourager. At first, I found myself walking away from the readings saying to myself, “That’s nice. It is a good idea to encourage others,” but honestly, I was not very moved by what I read. Little did I know, those readings […]
It is springtime in Western New York and its arrival was marked by cold winds and yesterday, a snow storm. I found myself in that storm as I made hospital visits and a few meetings. I was amazed just how much snow we received. Now, I chose to live here and I enjoy winter and its snow, but this year, I am looking forward to […]
“I am just not feelin’ it.” That was exactly how I felt yesterday, as I stared at a blank screen pondering what to write for my blog post. I’ve actually felt that way off-and-on for several days. I love to write, but I simply did not feel inspired. Then, last night, I got the word. While watching a rerun of an episode of Art Race, […]
People often ask, “Why can’t I see God?” My response to that is, “Why aren’t you looking?” God reveals his divine presence all the time and when we open our eyes, we see that the love and grace of God is all around us. Today, I was waiting in the car while my wife picked up a few things at the store that we needed […]