Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; Romans 12:10 Have you ever admired someone from afar but then became acquainted with them, and their flaws began to surface? It is easy to show respect and honor to someone you do not know well. It can be challenging to show respect to those we know best, such as our spouse. Often, we can filter our words and hold our tongue when talking to someone with a different opinion, but when it comes to our spouse, we feel we have free reign to say whatever …
Life constantly presents us with decisions. At certain stages of life, our choices may seem more significant than at other times. But no matter, from our youngest age to our oldest age, there will be decisions. In our decision process, we should consider Biblical principles that will help us make wise decisions. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God… James 1:5 PRAY First and foremost, prayer should be the first thing we do when faced with a decision. Pray honestly. Try to be neutral in your prayer. Prayer is the key to understanding what God wants …
I carefully protect that first hour of the day, making sure that all input is positive, clean, pure, creative, and inspirational. Dan Miller, author of The Rudder of the day Does your morning ever play out like this? You hit snooze too many times, and you are running late. One of the kids can’t find their shoes, while the other forgot to do their homework. Scarfing down breakfast, you rush out the door. By mid-morning, you are muttering, “It’s been one of those days!” We all will have those types of mornings, but we can help set the tone of our …
In March, Crista and I celebrated our 20th anniversary. When we first got married, I thought it was going to be one long honeymoon. I quickly realized that was not the case. Crista and I are two different people who approached life differently. It was going to be work, and it still is. But it’s worth it. I want to share twenty lessons that I have learned over the past twenty years. Most of these lessons came the hard way, and many of them we are still working at.
Like most Americans, my family and I have been spending a lot of time together since the Coronavirus outbreak. In one way, it has been an excellent opportunity to reset as a family. Lately, we have lingered longer around the dinner table, talking and laughing. Most evenings, Crista and I have been taking walks. We will usually run into a neighbor and talk with them for a while. No one seems to be in a hurry. I am reminded of an old Andy Griffith episode of a salesman who is stranded in Mayberry, and he is upset that everybody and …
As we grow up and notice what our culture has presented to us about marriage, we realize it is a very shallow view. Cultures around the world are different, but they are all contrary to the Word of God. Most of us have a selfish idea about marriage. In the West, and increasing elsewhere around the world, there is a romantic view of marriage. The purview is, that love is something you fall into, can be evidenced by divorce rates, and is something you fall out of, as well. If marriage isn’t easy and full of romance, people feel that …
Fifty years is a long time! I set in the fellowship hall of our church, celebrating with my lovely wife fifty years of marriage while thinking back over that time. My thoughts went back to the time we first met. Time passes so quickly, and yet I do not say it seemed like yesterday. I was a young preacher boy of eighteen, and my future wife, Mary (which I had not yet met) was almost seventeen. She attended a revival with her family, which I was preaching. On the third night of those special services, she gave her heart to …
Today, most of us use our smartphones and devices more than we would care to admit. We feel as if we always need to be checking it. We have a fear of missing out. Even when we have a conversation with someone, we will often pull out our phone to share a picture or look up a fact. Smart devices are eroding our ability to communicate. Have you ever noticed at a restaurant if two people are eating together, and one of them gets up to use the restroom, instantly the person sitting at the table pulls out their phone? …
Texting can be a convenient way to communicate. There are days that Crista and I will use texting to figure out where to meet, what the kids have going on, who’s taking who to their activities. For those types of situations, texting can be useful. However, communicating through text regarding an emotional situation or a situation that doesn’t have a quick answer, can often lead to a misunderstanding. It often goes like this: His wife just walked into the kitchen and found her son with yogurt all over himself and the floor. It takes her 30 minutes to respond to …
Being a pastor is not easy, and the ministry can be demanding upon their family. Most pastors are bi-vocational, so they are juggling work, being a pastor, while trying to carve out time with their family. It’s easy to view our pastor as an anchor that will always be there. But like us all, they go through the ups and downs of life. Ways to encourage your pastor Pray for your pastor and his family daily. Let him know that you appreciate him. Allow him and his family to be human. Attend church regularly. Gossip can destroy a church. Be …