As cold and hot battle for dominance this time of year, it is often challenging to discern seasons in Houston, Texas. Yet, we can see signs of new life and growth blossoming around us in the tree, flowers, grass, insects, and, yes, the Texas wildflowers that people drive miles to walk through and sit in …
I’m a preacher’s kid. Growing up in a large Christian family, I often heard my parents pray out loud. Their routine was to wake up early and have devotions where they prayed for a long list of people, including my siblings and me. In good times and troubled times, they prayed. In sickness and in …
John 17: Comfort and Encouragement in the Lord’s Prayer Read More »
New Year’s resolutions—you love them, or you hate them. I found an unexpectedly helpful model for making resolutions in 2 Timothy 1:3–12. Paul’s reflections about the past, his description of God’s faithfulness in the present, and his encouragement about the future serve as loving reminders for Timothy to stand firm in the faith. Ken Hanna described …
Making Resolutions: Learning from Paul’s Instruction to Timothy Read More »
When three of Job’s friends heard of the tragedy he had suffered, they got together and traveled from their homes to comfort and console him. Their names were Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. When they saw Job from a distance, they scarcely recognized him. Wailing loudly, they tore their robes and …
The Value of Friendship: What Job’s Friends Got Right Read More »
I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and save you. (Isaiah 46:4, HCSB) Caring for aging parents is one of our society’s most significant issues. It can affect any family at …
I think of myself as a lifelong learner, always seeking to discover something new from my experiences and the world around me. I have never been a huge fan of major league baseball, but watching the incredibly talented Houston Astros has entertained me this summer. I have learned a lot about the game, but staying …
Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story, The Emperor’s New Clothes, tells the tale of two swindlers who pose as weavers to convince an emperor they can make him a magnificent new garment. This unique garment would be visible only to those with certain intellectual enlightenment. By appealing to the emperor’s ego, they are hired. As the swindlers …
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12, NIV “They understood the assignment” is a popular phrase. It’s become a TikTok trend—the slang term describes someone who is giving 110%. To put it …
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Relent, Lord! How long will it be? Have compassion on your servants. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as …
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17, ESV Recently I received an email highlight from the Barna …