Horses are a wonderful breed of animal—sleek, sure-footed, tireless, gentle, majestic, and patient. The horse is often the illustration of humility or meekness, which is “power under control.” We are called to be like them in the sense of being humble and allowing God to direct our lives. He said, “I will instruct you and […]
Recently I listened to a message by a good friend, George Bradley (Hosea 12:7-14:9 — Shepherd’s Gate Church PDX – shepherdsgatepdx.org). He was speaking about Hosea, one of the lesser-known prophets in the Bible. After the nation of Israel divided into two nations, during the reign of Jeroboam, the first king in the north, God […]
If you’ve ever ridden Trimet, you know the difference between fragrance and odor. Some passengers give off a pleasant perfume or cologne, while others assault our nostrils as though they haven’t bathed for weeks. But this blog is not addressing the physical aromas or odors that follow a person. Instead, I’m looking at the character […]
More than one person has said, “The golden years are when you spend all your saved-up gold on doctors.” It’s a funny adage, but the truth behind it isn’t so funny. I wonder if part of the reason why we like to watch the Olympics or other professional sports is that it allows us to […]
Don’t you just love to be in the company of someone who is always bragging about how great they are or what great thing they have done? I’m kidding. Like pushing a Q-tip too far into our ears, there aren’t too many things more painful than having to listen to someone’s self-aggrandizing. Whether physical features, […]
Down through history, America has not always treated women well. Today, with the horrific things that are happening to girls and women in Afghanistan, I thought this would be an appropriate time to review how Jesus interacted with women. Adulterer (John 8): Men had set this woman up to catch her in the act of […]
Remember the last time you stumbled into your kitchen, flicked on the lights, and saw hundreds of sugar ants scurrying over your counters? As you reached for the Windex (instant death), they sensed danger and quickly disappeared into the woodwork. Others retreated down the sideboard to the floor, across the room, and disappeared under the […]
Maybe there’s a reason we are told not to talk about politics or religion. It seems that those two topics can result in more heat than light. The church is not immune to division and finger-pointing, especially when it comes to views on political issues. The Apostle Paul addressed a church that was polarizing over […]
Two sisters, growing up in the same home. They loved one another. It never occurred to either one that the older daughter was somewhat plain and the younger was very attractive. They were tight friends — until one day their father made a decision that hurt them beyond words. On the day of the younger […]