I came across an interesting quote the other day: “Sometimes the most loving thing we can do for someone who has had a relapse is to not sound loving.” The prophet said it like this: “The Lord spoke to me with a strong hand” (Isaiah 8:11). You know someone who is struggling in their addiction.…
In His Utmost for My Highest, Oswald Chambers writes, “God providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide – for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.” When a crisis hits, you…
Tom Dula lived deep in the North Carolina Appalachians. Dula was known as a ladies’ man, and he had an on-again, off-again relationship with a woman named Anne Foster. The problem was that Foster was married to another man. Rather than break off the relationship, Dula continued to see Ms. Foster, as well as her…
There are different ways to settle elections. What we saw in the presidential vote a few months ago continues to lead to dissention on both sides. Maybe they have figured out a better plan in Dickinson, Texas. The Houston suburb of about 22,000 citizens held a mayoral race in November. No candidate received 50 percent…
Have you ever tried to manipulate God? Maybe you asked God for something, but then you set out to help him answer your prayer. Comedian Emo Philips said, “I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn’t work that way. So I stole a bike and asked God for forgiveness.” While I don’t…
One of my truisms in life is this: seek answers and you will be frustrated; seek God and answers will find you. J.I. Packer said, “There is no more compelling goal than knowing God.” And the prophet said, “I desired the knowledge of God more than burn offerings” (Hosea 6:6). You will never find lasting…
You have a past. But far more importantly, you have a future. And in order to have a better future, you need to quit trying to have a better past. Author Jason Versey observed, “Even a spineless anthropod sheds what’s no longer useful and leaves it behind.” I have come to believe that our past…
Where we live in Florida, we see a lot of ducks. They are in the pond behind our house, waddling around the neighborhood, and too often, walking across the street. And that’s where it becomes a problem. Walking across a street where there are a lot of drivers over 90 (the median age of Floridians…
Beth and I have reached the age when we enjoy things like collecting shells on the beach. We still wait up for the news before we go to bed. But instead of watching the 10:00 news, we watch the 6:00 news. And one other sign of our age – we love to work a good…
It was one of the few movies I remember watching in a theater with my mom. The year was 1992. The movie was A Few Good Men. Mom’s favorite actor, Jack Nicholson, played the role of Jessup. And he uttered this most famous line – “You can’t handle the truth!” I offer the following for…