More Joy In Heaven
I dreaded the idea of attending a memorial service for an old friend. Fred had rejected the need for Jesus in his life, and because of that I was sure he was lost forever.
What's In Your Mouth?
Communications experts tell us that the average person speaks enough to fill 20 single-spaced, typewritten pages every day. This means our mouths crank out enough words to fill 2 books of 300 pages each month, 24 books each year, and 1,200 books in 50 years of speaking. Thanks to phones, voicemail, and face-to-face conversations, words comprise a large part of our lives. So the kinds of words we use are important.
From Awe To Adoration
What's the greatest activity we can spend time doing? Worshiping God! Worship is not repeating hasty, routine petitions or listening to mood-inducing music. Worship is the experience of being "lost in wonder, love, and praise," as Charles Wesley wrote. It's awe that inspires adoration.
Good Out Of Evil
The events of life can challenge our trust in the Scriptures. Romans 8:28 teaches that God can bring good out of "all things." But in August 2004 "all things" seemed hard to fathom. Some longtime friends of mine contacted me and others asking prayer for their son and his fiancée who were missing. It was so out of character for Jason and Lindsay that we feared the worst. Several days later, their murdered bodies were found, just 2 weeks before their wedding.
Trinidad & Tobago
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Jamaica
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Guyana
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What Now?
During the years that I taught junior high students in an overcrowded school, I used to say (only slightly in jest) that my morning prayer was in 2 Chronicles 20:12—"O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You."
Losing To Gain
On my father's farm were certain fields he sowed by hand. He would strap on a canvas contraption that looked somewhat like a kangaroo pouch, fill it with seed, and go out to sow. He would cast seed everywhere.
Hurry Sickness
Hurry up!" "We're late!" "You're too slow!" How often do impatient words crop up in our speech, revealing our fast-paced life? If we're not careful, we become people living in the fast lane, demanding quick arrivals and instant results. Stress experts call this "hurry sickness."
Be An Example
A high school senior honored as one of the "Best & Brightest" in our community has provided a forceful demonstration of integrity. When his school team was given the word auditorium in a regional spelling bee, Brady Davis glanced down to ponder his response and noticed that the word was printed on the microphone stand. He called this to the attention of the judges who responded with a more difficult word. Brady did what he knew was right whether others noticed or not.
Temporary . . .
Some things we accomplish in life require intense commitment for a short time—and the result has lifelong value.
Done!
So many of our hopes and dreams remain unfulfilled. Composer Franz Schubert departed this world leaving behind his "Unfinished Symphony." Similarly, prolific author Charles Dickens was unable to fully develop the plot of his novel The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
Adjust Your Conscience
Built into our nature is an internal judicial system, the conscience, that commends us when we do right and condemns us when we do wrong. But this vital monitor of morality does not say the same thing to everyone. In some cultures vengeful killing is seen as honorable. In others, a person is still considered good even when he betrays a friend.
Peace In The Storm
Life can seem unbearable at times. Physical pain, difficult decisions, financial hardships, the death of a loved one, or shattered dreams threaten to engulf us. We become fearful and perplexed. Plagued by doubts, we may even find it difficult to pray.
A Gratitude Visit
Counting your blessings promotes good physical health, according to a study by some US doctors. Volunteers who kept weekly gratitude journals reported fewer aches and pains than those who recorded daily hassles or neutral events.
God Put You In My Way
In the movie The Four Feathers, Harry Faversham left England in the 1880s to search for his friends in the King's army in the Sudan. In his quest, Harry got lost and was near death in the vast deserts of Africa. Then, as his life was ebbing away, he was rescued by an African, Abou Fatma, who cared for him.
Tapping The Treasure
Stephen May discovered a treasure while teaching literature at the University of Northern Colorado. In the library, he found 150 boxes of letters, manuscripts, journals, outlines, and notes given to the school by James A. Michener.
The Empathy Factor
In the summer of 2005, I led a group of high school students on a missions trip to Jamaica. Our goal was to build a playground at a school for deaf children in that beautiful island country.
Drink Up!
In 1981, Ida's Pastry Shoppe in Jenison, Michigan, advertised this special offer: "Buy one of our coffee mugs for $4.79 and fill up your cup for a dime each time you visit."
