On November 14, 2009, Tom Thompson stepped onto the football field to attempt his first extra point as a place-kicker for NCAA Division III Austin College, of Sherman, Texas. His kick was good. That would be the last point Austin College would score against Trinity University that mild Saturday afternoon. This may not sound newsworthy…
There’s this little word we don’t hear much about these days. Sin. What, exactly, is sin? I will leave the biblical word for “sin,” all Greek lessons, as well as theological ramblings for another day. I love the way Oswald Chambers says it: “Sin is a fundamental relationship. It is not wrong doing, but wrong…
When the sun sets on Barrow, Alaska, in mid-November, it won’t be seen again until late January. But no one doubts the sun’s existence just because they don’t see it for a while. Why? They know the sun is still there because they’ve seen it before. You can be certain of God’s presence because you’ve…
Recovery without passion is just talk. So what is passion? The word “passion” comes from the root pati, meaning to suffer. Anything about which we are passionate is something for which we are willing to suffer. Sure it is hard to stay sober. Yes, your commitment to recovery will invite attack and temptation. But if…
I am a long-suffering Houston sports fan. Exhibit A – April 4, 1983 The University of Houston Cougars lost the NCAA Finals to huge underdog North Carolina State on the final play of the game. Exhibit B – January 3, 1993 The Houston Oilers led the Buffalo Bills, 28-3 at halftime in an NFL playoff…
On the night of his betrayal, Jesus said something interesting to his betrayer. He told Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:27). It wasn’t that Jesus was commending the betrayal, but that he wanted to move quickly beyond this historic mistake. You have made colossal mistakes. Every sex addict has. Now…
Most of us are in a lifelong search for “the one.” We reason: “If I can find the one [fill in the blank] that I’m searching for, I will finally be happy.” In my own life, I found my “one,” the very best: Wife Son Church Home Car Degree Vacation Career Hobby Still, it was…
As a young man, over the course of about 20 years, I was the proud owner of five different 1966 Mustang convertibles, each in excellent condition. As a classic car lover, I attended numerous car shows each year. And I found a couple of things interesting. We overlook the dings and scratches in the other…
There is a story in the AA “Big Book” that reads, “I stopped wondering ‘Why me?’ a long time ago. It’s like a man standing on a bridge in the middle of a river with his pants on fire, wondering why his pants are on fire. It doesn’t matter. Just jump in the water!” The…
It was perhaps the greatest government cover-up in history. In May of 1893, President Grover Cleveland noticed a rough spot on the roof of his mouth, which was soon diagnosed as a cancerous growth the size of a quarter. At the time, America was going through a financial crisis, and the White House feared that…