Holiday

WHAT’S YOUR MOTIVATOR?

What is your motive? What is your purpose? We live in a fallen world motivated by self-help, self-serve, self-made humans. We want what’s best. Best for who? Best of what? Best according to which benchmarks? Matthew 9 included examples of Jesus’s best. He healed a paralyzed man; ate with tax collectors. He revived a dead…

THE LAST WORD

God’s greatest accomplishment is that He always gets the last word. I hesitate to admit defeat or weakness, especially when I’ve packed grandiose plans into my adventure-filled day. I embark on a trail, eager to fulfill my mission. I anticipate a catwalk but sometimes find myself on a skunk chase. Through my misguided direction, I…

A K-9 CALL

“That’ll separate the men from the boys.” In demanding situations, I often hear that challenge statement.  Compared to boys, men are generally stronger, smarter, more courageous. I base a person’s strength on their ability to make sound decisions in chaotic circumstances. I consider a resourceful person to be resilient during, and after, unexpected twists. A…

BUY ONE, GIVE ONE

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 4:18 NIV). Ah yes. The classic chicken and egg dispute. Which came first? Was faith and works the political biblical debate? In James 4, there’s a…

RIP

RIP. I visualize a figurative tombstone. Rest In Peace. I’m in situational circumstances where my weakness nearly buries me. My typical self-control has been replaced with unfamiliar abrasiveness. “When you can’t change your situation, you can change your character.” I agree. My disposition has become shady, and I’ve fallen behind a spiritual eclipse. I feverishly…

JESUS PAID TAXES TOO

“But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake, and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours” (Mt. 17:25). April 15. Tax day. Today also marks Good…

TRUTH BY THE DOZEN

Twelve times. “I write to you.” In the book of 1 John, he states why and for who he writes twelve different times. I appreciate people with a focused mission. John wrote Truth to caution people against sin. He wrote because sins were forgiven. He wrote because his audience knew Jesus, therefore they knew the…

YODA COMMITS

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda, from Star Wars stated this in The Empire Strikes Back movie. Yoda taught Luke Skywalker to focus on the present, to commit himself to win or lose. Luke needed to choose between the light or dark side. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” The…

MARCH MADNESS

Word Count: 298 I applied my heart to now, to search and seek out wisdom and the reason of things, to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness (Eccl. 7:25 NKJV). March. Men’s basketball fans associate this month with March Madness, NCAA’s Division tournament of 68 teams in seven rounds shooting for…