A disciple is a follower who in turn has a following. A personal follower of Jesus the Christ was called a disciple and he in turn had a following as he carried forward all that had been learned from the Teacher. Dads are disciples. We typically follow our dad or father-figure’s example and carry forward what has been learned into our own fathering journey.
The difference between the original disciples and dads is ...read on
It seems ironic that Labor Day is a holiday for most Americans. Labor Day was established as a federal holiday in 1894 to celebrate the work ethic of Americans across all industries and their contributions to the U.S. economy. And it gave workers a well-earned day off. Today there are nine federal holidays giving folks almost two weeks off in addition to vacation time. A person would think that job satisfaction would be at an all-time high. However, today over half of Americans, 52.3% are unhappy at work per the Conference Board, a New York-based research group. This compares to nearly two-thirds of Americans liking their job just three decades ago. Is Labor Day about celebrating good work ethic and contributions to the economy or just enjoying a 3-day weekend?
Labor days number 365 a year on the cattle ranch. Starting the ...read on
We have heard a lot about what matters lately. There is a group getting a lot of press conveying how black lives matter. An opposing group showed up at a rally to get their message out that white lives matter. Then there are the folks out there stating the obvious that all lives matter. Maybe they are trying to give voice to the millions of unborn of all colors that do not get to voice what matters to them.
Is there any greater feeling than your young daughter running outside to greet you after a long day saying, “Up-hug Daddy, up-hug!”? Or being challenged to a wrestling match by your boys immediately upon walking through the door? These are what I call glimpses of God’s glory in this life, the blessing of children, of marriage and family.
The glimpses can get lost in the burden of raising children. The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s latest annual “Cost of Raising a Child” report documented the average cost to be ...read on
He thought he had marriage figured out. After all, with five divorces in his family he had seen good examples of how not to do marriage. The reason for the divorce always seemed to come down to one or two issues - finances and sexual incompatibility. The young man surmised he could manage those two issues – he would complete his education and get a good job to provide well for his family; and he would live with his girlfriend a year or so to ensure they were compatible. It was a good plan until ... read on
All was not proceeding as anticipated. He had been overlooked, bypassed for a promotion again! Thoughts that maybe he was with the wrong company began to percolate as his career floundered. In a discussion with his manager, it was suggested that his perspective was skewed by ambition. The ambition was seen as a positive quality but the manager encouraged him to be patient and focus on the job in front of him. He was assured all would work out.
Over the last several weeks we have discussed “news being news because it’s news” and how noisy it is getting in the world with the election year in full swing, the polarization of politics, media sensationalism and the stirring up of issues with an agenda to divide our society.
We know that the devil thrives on chaos and division. We also know that he cannot stand ...read on
Is it noisy enough for you? Two national conventions stirring up politics of polarization have given the national media plenty of opportunity to be loud. Local law enforcement facing challenges in several cities across the country and another ISIS terror attack somewhere in the world all seem to have the volume ever increasing. Noisy indeed!
An old Billy Joel song comes to mind. The chorus lyrics include, “We didn’t start the fire. It’s been burnin’ since the world’s been turnin’.” ...read on
Fighting through the chemo attacking the stage IV Melanoma, the pain was intense. When visiting my brother in the hospital, I saw a pain chart on the wall that had a smiley face at the top, a frown face on the bottom and several in between reflecting progressive expressions. The nurse explained to me that they used the chart to manage the pain with drugs - it was important for the patient to not waste any energy fighting the pain. Whatever energy a patient has needs to be focused on fighting the cancer.
What a powerful analogy for Christians in this world. There is cancer in society that is causing a lot of pain. There are agendas given voice through a willing media stirring up the pain. ...read on
“News is news because it’s news.” Those were the wise words spoken by Harold Ensley, The Sportsman’s Friend in Kansas City, Missouri, forty-plus years ago at a high school baccalaureate service. The message referred to the increasing power granted to the media to influence opinion and mind-sets. The reminder was that news by definition is the exception however sensationally it is presented. The challenge put forth was ...read on
All was not proceeding as anticipated. He had been overlooked, bypassed for a promotion again! Thoughts that maybe he was with the wrong company began to percolate as his career floundered. In a discussion with his manager, it was suggested that his perspective was skewed by ambition. The ambition was seen as a positive quality but the manager encouraged him to be patient and focus on the job in front of him. He was assured all would work out.
