I remember taking my beloved Christian brother, Pastor Baptiste, who lives in Haiti, to one of our American all-you-can-eat buffets. There were stations after stations of food. He was amazed at the quantity of food and that he could eat all he wanted. When I was with him in Haiti, I discovered he had told many of his friends about his unbelievable experience at the bountiful restaurant.
Continue reading “More Than Enough”Tick-Tock (not TikTok)
I remember as a child hearing the tick-tock of an old mantel clock in the home of one of our elderly kinfolks. At the top of the hour, the clock would make a gong for the number of the hour. It was always a little creepy to me. The passing of time is kind of weird when you think about it, like the whittling off of your life second by second.
Continue reading “Tick-Tock (not TikTok)”Alone in a Crowd
Have you ever been in a room full of people, and you knew for all practical purposes you were alone? A few times, I have traveled internationally alone. It is an interesting feeling walking down a foreign airport concourse some 5,000 miles away from anyone you know. It doesn’t really bother me. I love people, but I can also handle solitude.
Continue reading “Alone in a Crowd”Song of My Soul
Song of My Soul
How could I say that I have accepted Jesus, chose Yahweh to be my God, and Holy Spirit to fill me? As if I was shopping for a god and thought they were a great bargain.
No—the realization that He chose me. He came to me in my brokenness, revealing His completeness and perfection. At the time, I could not have articulated these words, but in retrospect I can see Him coming to me, instead of me going to Him.
Continue reading “Song of My Soul”Simplicity of the Cross
I love the Word of God. The gems of truth we can mine from its depths are invaluable treasures. When I can connect the dots between the Old Testament and the New Testament, it is the reward of the student. The strong truth of the Word comes at the right time bringing me back into alignment with the heart of God.
The message of the Cross of Christ is the simple message of salvation for all to embrace and believe.
Continue reading “Simplicity of the Cross”Community
Growing up, I lived three miles up a country road from a major four-lane highway. Traveling up Sand Valley Road as a child of ten years old, I could name every family of every home on that three-mile stretch. Fifty-seven years later, many of those homes are filled with strangers.
Continue reading “Community”Tag Along With Me to Jail
I have been involved in local jail ministry for the most part of thirty years. It is not glorious work. It is not scary as some might think. I have never felt threatened and most of the guys are usually respectable and appreciative.
The jail we visit is set up like a dormitory with bunks on two sides and tables in the middle. Lately, our jail ministry team has been alternating weeks and I have been going alone twice per month.
There is nothing fancy of what we do. No fanfare, no bells and whistles. Just an old buzzard of a preacher telling the story of Jesus to a bunch of jail birds.
Continue reading “Tag Along With Me to Jail”The First Woman’s First Day (Mother’s Day)
The fellowship of Adam with God was complete. His worship of God was flawless. This was why he had been created. Mankind was the reason God had created this lush, verdant creation called Earth.
God so desired to bring all of mankind from one created being, all people would be of one blood. In Adam was all who were ever be conceived. He was the complete creation formed and brought forth by God. Through him, all others would come forth from his genetic pool.
Continue reading “The First Woman’s First Day (Mother’s Day)”Be Real
Our present world is one of symbols and images that are often removed from reality. Social media has photos that are filtered to project a prettier face. A short media post shows a perfect situation but a deeper look reveals a flawed reality.
We are swamped with available information at our fingertips. Much of the information is skewed to project a reality that does not exit. It is like the snake oil medicine of old, that promised to cure everything from cataracts to kidney stones but only gave a taste of medicine in the mouth.
Continue reading “Be Real”Ingredients for the Joy Cake
Well, it’s the week after Christmas and days before the calendar flips to a new year. We are into winter regardless of the temperature and for many folks it is a dreary time of year. Presents have been opened, decorations will soon be stowed away, the daylight is short, and a new year looms just days away. The hype that made many happy a few days ago has wilted in the wind.
Being happy does not necessarily make us joyful. Happiness depends on a happening and when the happening ceases many get the mulligrubs. Joy is a peaceful and deep contentment that does not sway like the happiness barometer. Joy and her twin sister Peace swing from the same tree.
Continue reading “Ingredients for the Joy Cake”