School did not come easy to him. He had friends that never studied but always got better grades than he did. Regular homework was tough enough. Tests required doubling down and investing more time to study. He preferred being outside kicking or throwing a ball but his folks said that he needed to think more of his education than athletics.
Professionally, first rattle out of the box there were ...read on
It was quite the view. One could look to the east and see a beautiful valley, and to the south to see other peaks they had summited. They were literally on top of the world, at least this part of the world at 14,265 feet. What a perspective! All else is small stuff from this elevation.
Of course, one always has to come down from a mountain-top experience. The hope is ...read on
Things changed that first Easter not quite 2000 years ago. A new perspective entered the hearts and minds of Jesus’ disciples. All the teaching, the parables and the miracles would now provide grounding for a new way of thinking. While eyes had been downcast Friday and Saturday, they became focused on Jesus’ eternal perspective Sunday.
Easter, the most important date on the Christian calendar, is a reminder of ...read on
The father-son relationship is a powerful force in this world. With time and commitment, a father grounds his son in the right stuff and equips him to navigate life well. A father’s influence is powerful and is not an option. The only option is to invest well for a positive influence or be passive and let the influence be negative. The collateral damage of passivity on the fathering front is seen in many societal woes being faced today.
The Father-man relationship suffered disconnect in ...read on
Spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner. Any summer family plans? Here is a thought: The Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky, is a beautiful museum in a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark. Allow a full day for this experience. Then there is the Creation Museum just north of the Ark in Petersburg, Kentucky. And the Kings Island Amusement Park is in near-by Mason, Ohio, for some more family fun.
Family trips make for wonderful memories. It is also important to make lifetime memories with
Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life up to this point? Was it a positive influence or a negative one, meaning did it provide clarity for your life or introduce confusion? A family situation that has dad and mom in the home establishing biblically grounded faith and values provides one type of influence while a home impacted by divorce or addiction has a different type of influence.
One young man grew up in a home in which he was ...read on
What constitutes spiritual warfare? Maybe the first question should be, ‘What is spiritual warfare?’ Wikipedia suggests it is, “the concept of fighting against the work of preternatural evil forces.” Biblically, we first see it at work with the serpent’s lies in the Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:4-5. The conflict between forces of darkness and the Light has been present since the beginning.
Do you remember the two-a-day high school football workouts that typically started a couple of weeks before school began? The practices were structured for conditioning and getting football ready. If one ran hard through every drill, he would likely make the final roster.
Similarly in life, if one works hard, results are realized and accolades are received on the job. Has that been ...read on
Loving sons does not sound as sweet as loving daughters but sons need love from dad too. While some men had exemplary dads that expressed their love often through words of affirmation and encouragement, others have never experienced the love of a father. Most of us fall somewhere between. The example you grew up under may not be the one to emulate.
There can be no blame put on dads or father-figures that ...read on
“Up-hug Daddy!” It was not a request. It was a demand. And if dad was carrying anything as he walked through the door, he knew to put it down quickly so he could pick his daughter up and hug her as she expected to be hugged. It was all arms and legs wrapped around daddy in celebration that he was home.
As a dad of a daughter, I can attest that it is a glimpse of God’s glory to ...read on