We have a big willow oak (similar to a water oak) in our yard. It is part of the image of our home. My children literally grew up with this tree. I remember tying some of our horses to it back in the day, when it was only about eight inches in diameter. Now this monster is about 32 inches in diameter and a crazy eight feet or so around.
Continue reading “Constant As a Tree”Pressing Forward
We have dipped our toes into the New Year and have the slate our future before us. I encourage you to look up and look forward. God has something good for you. Every day is a gift from God.
Life is difficult. Everyone deals with something. Yes, some folks have had it better than others, but no one leaves this earth without a scar. So, the heart of my remarks is not to belittle your difficulties but to encourage you move forward in spite of them. Some of life’s greatest victories were born out of great tragedies.
Continue reading “Pressing Forward”Resolution: An Improved You or A New You?
Now at the flipping of the calendar to a New Year, all around us the marketing has begun to sell us a new diet plan, a book on how to be a better you, a program to get you out of debt, or a plan to get you a house on a cul-de-sac (country boys call it a dead-end). Some of that you may need but…
Continue reading “Resolution: An Improved You or A New You?”Dirty Old Man
God made man from dirt. He did not make a mud pie; He made a man. He created a body from the soil. Before God breathed life into Adam, the body in essence was a corpse. A human body without life is a corpse. We rightly consider resurrection as a miracle from God. The first man was brought to life just as the Second Adam (Jesus the Messiah) was brought back to life through the lifegiving power of God. God raised Adam from the dirt.
Continue reading “Dirty Old Man”What Are They Thinking?
Do you ever wonder that some people gather in a room and begin their meeting with this phrase, “Let’s try to come up with the worst idea possible!” The meeting progresses and many ideas are put forth. Then they arrive at a consensus of the worst idea and they all with wholehearted glee exclaim, “Yes, let’s do that!”
Continue reading “What Are They Thinking?”From Death to Life
Life is a strange phenomenon. Being raised on a small farm, I learned early about life and death. As a small boy, I could easily discern if a puppy or baby pig was sleeping or dead. Later, I learned to scratch the bark of a twig with my thumbnail to see if the cambium layer (inner bark) was alive (light green) or dead (brown).
Continue reading “From Death to Life”The “Threes” of Living
Many of us have had the sensation of being underwater and needing air. In that situation, seconds are like eternity, and we will fight and claw to get a breath of air. There are very few people who can “hold their breath” for even a minute.
There is a common saying based on threes when it comes to survival or living. Most of these are not original with me and I am not sure who said any first. “Our life is in jeopardy if we have three minutes without oxygen, three hours of extreme exposure, three days without water, and three weeks without food.” The three common basics of living are food, water, and shelter (air being a given).
Continue reading “The “Threes” of Living”
