Suddenly a bright light flashed across the bow, nearly blinding the captain. The other ship was on a collision course with his. Straightaway, he signaled to it, “Change your direction.” He quickly received a signal back, “You change your direction!” Put off, the captain sent another message, “This is Captain Palmer. I order you to […]
When you think of the Bible’s Love Story, what comes to mind? Many people will respond, “Song of Solomon.” There’s nothing wrong with that choice, but I would like to suggest that there is an even better love story recorded in the book of Hosea. If this short book is not familiar to you, don’t […]
Early in His ministry, Jesus attended a wedding. Jewish weddings in those days were very different than most weddings in our country today. The wedding usually lasted five to seven days. The bride and groom were paraded through the village, so the wedding was often a joyous village-wide event. Isn’t it interesting that Jesus performed […]
I enjoy watching videos of mountain goats running up and down sheer mountainsides. They make it look so easy, and they never give any indication of fear. It doesn’t matter whether they are standing on a precipice high above the ocean or on the side of a mountain hundreds of feet up, they walk around […]
One nice feature about international flights is having the opportunity to watch movies to occupy your time. The last time I flew to India on a mission trip I began watching the movie, Jack the Giant Killer. The movie was based upon the fairytale, Jack and the Beanstalk, with giants living in the clouds. I […]
The Bible reveals in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” We are supposed to be different. What has changed? I still have the same job and family. I still sleep and eat. Sometimes we don’t feel like that […]
Whether boys are standing beside a small creek or on a bridge above a river, they will find something to toss into the water. It’s fun to watch things bump along as they float downstream. It’s also fun to be the one drifting. When we were much younger, Karen and I enjoyed floating down the […]
How do you handle interruptions? I don’t handle them too well. I wish I dealt with them better, but I prefer it when life happens smoothly, according to (my) plan. A familiar story can teach us a lot about interruptions. The story takes place in the early morning, near the end of Peter’s workday. He […]
Do you sometimes feel alone and afraid? Do you enjoy meeting new and unexpected challenges? Or are you like me, preferring routine? Do you have a tendency to see life as “a cup half full” or do you find yourself seeing things more as “a cup half empty?” It’s easy to interpret circumstances and interruptions […]
Consider the Apostle Paul, King David, and the Prophet Elijah. You might think such godly men never faced discouragement, but each of them did. There was a time when Paul said he “despaired even of life.” One time David’s men talked of stoning him, and he had to “encourage himself in the Lord.” And there […]