While I was in college, a friend gave me a cartoon that parodied a popular phrase at the time, “Remember, Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” The cartoon depicted a woman talking to an exasperated man in a chair, and the text read, “Just remember, Jesus loves you, and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life.” The cartoon […]
“I have to…” In the last post, we reflected on the importance of recharging. Today, we begin considering some of the major culprits consuming our energy, and one of the leaders is a false sense of obligation. Undoubtedly, there are commitments we must keep and obligations that require our attention, but frequently, we assign ourselves mandatory responsibilities that do not have the urgency we assign […]
Yesterday was challenging. Mid-afternoon, we received a call from my wife’s new doctor informing us that that her recent tests showed that she was in serious condition and that we needed to go to the emergency room right away. It was a life-threatening situation. You can imagine the fear, and a host of other emotions, that flooded us in that moment. Things can turn upside-down […]
Please forgive the delay posting this morning’s post. I awoke today, with a passion to write something more timely. I keep watching as hurricane Florence approaches the Carolinas, watching in awe of the size of the storm, and in deep concern for all that is within its path. I am thankful for the downgrade in intensity, but profoundly aware of the damage it will cause. […]
Even though it is tempting, we can avoid the bait of pointless contention.
Some things are simply too amazing to ignore. I am currently reading through the Book of Acts during my devotional time. This morning, my focus was on chapter 12, including the story of the Peter’s imprisonment by King Herod. Beginning at verse 6, the story reads, “The night before Herod was going to bring Peter’s case forward, Peter was asleep between two soldiers and bound […]
I know, you are probably thinking, “here comes another blog post where Chuck explains (read ‘confesses’) his inability to find time to write, and fails to update his blog.” Well, the truth is, yes, and no. There was time for me to write and numerous ideas to explore, yet, there was nothing I felt I could (read ‘should’) post. I try embrace the guidance of […]
I thought a little poetic reflection was in order for the weekend. May you find peace in what truly matters. I once thought happiness came in packages with dollar signs attached. Quantity mattered more than quality, unless a name gave you status. I wanted more because peace had a shelf life. Some, new thing was always ready to be my source of joy and self-worth. […]
It was supposed to be a debilitating spring snowstorm, but for much of the area it was only frosting on the grass and a lot of rain. All expectations focused on broken tree limbs, downed power lines and plenty of ice. Thankfully, the expectations were wrong. What could have been the “April Surprise” was just surprisingly cold. As the news media began reporting the forecast […]
Tuesday was one of the better Valentine’s Days I’ve experienced. We did not make any real plans due to a busy schedule, but we celebrated that we would be able to spend most of the day together which is always a blessing. After teaching a class and completing the work in my morning office hours, I was able to join my wife for a little […]