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 […]
Have you ever been upset with yourself for giving into temptation … again? Have you ever assumed that if you were just more disciplined, you could be victorious? Feel you need to try harder or be more regimented to keep your routines? How many times have you heard it said that if you want […]
When I was in high school (a long time ago), our sports rival was a town twenty miles to the north, just over the border between California and Oregon. The Bible also speaks of rivals, but not of towns and sports teams. These two rivals are each vying for your heart, kind of like politicians […]
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 […]
In 2 Timothy 2:3-7 of our Bibles, Christ-followers are encouraged to develop qualities found in three groups of people. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he […]
Farmers are diligent to prepare the soil for planting. When everything is right, they put seeds into the ground. As they do this, they have a mental picture of a field ready to harvest. They anticipate corn, oats, wheat or soybeans in abundance – what they call a “bumper crop.” Gardeners follow a similar routine […]
There she was. The love of my life. Of course, we were only in the 2nd grade, but I knew she was the one. I ran up to her swing and kissed her. Oh, the heaven’s exploded. Sadly, it didn’t go anywhere. She picked one of the other boys who kissed her. I decided I […]