In the 1950’s television series Dragnet, Sergeant Joe Friday would always say, “Just the facts, Ma’am” as he investigated the crime of the week. Emotions would impede the effectiveness of his investigation so he was quick to shut them down. Sgt. Friday did his job by cutting through emotional responses, working with facts and discerning the truth.
Today we have ‘fact-checkers’ that work to ...read on
A friend recently introduced me to Kirk Cameron’s 100-day Plan to Build a Godly Nation. Kirk said, “Rather than waiting for someone else’s 100-day plan to unfold and bite our nails to see what’s going to happen, let’s go on the offense and roll out our own 100-day plan.” He initiated “American Campfire Revival” – 100 daily broadcasts where he prays for restoration in our country and presents a biblical perspective.
On day 50, he told a story of an 87-yearold man that had survived ...read on
“In today’s society, materialism is idolized, immorality is glamorized, truth is minimized, abortion is legalized, the courts are paralyzed, and our politics are polarized. On the Internet, TV and movies, crime is legitimized, drug use is minimized, comedy is vulgarized, sex is trivialized, the Bible is fictionalized, churches are satirized, while God is marginalized, and Christians are demonized. Even in our families, our manners are uncivilized, our speech is vulgarized, our faith is secularized, so that everything is commercialized.”- Pastor Rick Warren at the World Meeting of Families, 2015.
We are in the season of Lent, the forty days starting on Ash Wednesday and going through Holy Saturday, the Saturday before Easter, not including Sundays. It is a time to step back from the hustle and bustle of daily routine and consider the final steps Jesus walked on this earth. It is also a powerful time to strengthen our relationship with Jesus the Christ by giving up something that is part of our normal routine or by taking on something new.
From a distance, many in northern climes have had a hard time understanding why South Texas struggled so this past week with what was probably just long sleeve weather to them. Similarly, some in South Texas, Louisiana and Florida had a hard time understanding why New York struggled so with "super storm" Sandy in 2012. Both were exceptional weather occurrences neither state was prepared for.
If today was tomorrow yesterday and today will be yesterday tomorrow, the todays can get by quickly! Maybe that is why the Beatles longed for yesterday - “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be. There’s a shadow hanging over me. ..” Living in yesterdays indeed can cast a shadow over experiences intended for today.
“God speaks in the language you know best ...read on
Who did you want to be like when you were growing up? Who was your role model - your dad, an uncle or another father-figure? Was there a national hero or maybe a sports figure that you wanted to emulate? As a tennis player in the ‘60’s, the sports figure I most wanted to be like was Rod Laver. Arguably the greatest player of all time, he would hustle, dive for balls and compete with class.
As an adult, the mantra in the business world was to ...read on
Father of a son or daughter. Step-father of a blended family. Adoptive father of a child. Biological father of child given up for adoption. Father of foster children. Grandfather in the role of father of grandchildren. Spiritual father of kids in the church or neighborhood. What are you a father of? If you are a man, you are a father of the next generation, in some capacity.
As fathers of the next generation, there is ...read on
Son of a great dad that seemed to always be there at the right time. Son of a good dad that did his best to provide but work kept him too busy to have a catch with you. Son of a dad you never did know because your biological mom gave you up for adoption, and it was a ‘closed’ adoption. Do you fit one of these scenarios or are you somewhere between them?
Whatever the situation, being a son is being under the influence of ...read on
A dad that had both of his kids get engaged this past year is now enjoying dialogue with them as they move forward with premarital counseling. The goals of the counseling programs are to affirm what God has brought together and encourage engagement in some tough conversations that may not surface during what Gary Chapman, author of the Five Love Languages labels the “tingly love” phase of the relationship.
There is a lesson here for a tense populace facing ...read on
In the 1950’s television series Dragnet, Sergeant Joe Friday would always say, “Just the facts, Ma’am” as he investigated the crime of the week. Emotions would impede the effectiveness of his investigation so he was quick to shut them down. Sgt. Friday did his job by cutting through emotional responses, working with facts and discerning the truth.
A friend recently introduced me to Kirk Cameron’s 100-day Plan to Build a Godly Nation. Kirk said, “Rather than waiting for someone else’s 100-day plan to unfold and bite our nails to see what’s going to happen, let’s go on the offense and roll out our own 100-day plan.” He initiated “American Campfire Revival” – 100 daily broadcasts where he prays for restoration in our country and presents a biblical perspective.
“In today’s society, materialism is idolized, immorality is glamorized, truth is minimized, abortion is legalized, the courts are paralyzed, and our politics are polarized. On the Internet, TV and movies, crime is legitimized, drug use is minimized, comedy is vulgarized, sex is trivialized, the Bible is fictionalized, churches are satirized, while God is marginalized, and Christians are demonized. Even in our families, our manners are uncivilized, our speech is vulgarized, our faith is secularized, so that everything is commercialized.”- Pastor Rick Warren at the World Meeting of Families, 2015.
From a distance, many in northern climes have had a hard time understanding why South Texas struggled so this past week with what was probably just long sleeve weather to them. Similarly, some in South Texas, Louisiana and Florida had a hard time understanding why New York struggled so with "super storm" Sandy in 2012. Both were exceptional weather occurrences neither state was prepared for.
If today was tomorrow yesterday and today will be yesterday tomorrow, the todays can get by quickly! Maybe that is why the Beatles longed for yesterday - “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday. Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be. There’s a shadow hanging over me. ..” Living in yesterdays indeed can cast a shadow over experiences intended for today.
Who did you want to be like when you were growing up? Who was your role model - your dad, an uncle or another father-figure? Was there a national hero or maybe a sports figure that you wanted to emulate? As a tennis player in the ‘60’s, the sports figure I most wanted to be like was Rod Laver. Arguably the greatest player of all time, he would hustle, dive for balls and compete with class.
Father of a son or daughter. Step-father of a blended family. Adoptive father of a child. Biological father of child given up for adoption. Father of foster children. Grandfather in the role of father of grandchildren. Spiritual father of kids in the church or neighborhood. What are you a father of? If you are a man, you are a father of the next generation, in some capacity.
Son of a great dad that seemed to always be there at the right time. Son of a good dad that did his best to provide but work kept him too busy to have a catch with you. Son of a dad you never did know because your biological mom gave you up for adoption, and it was a ‘closed’ adoption. Do you fit one of these scenarios or are you somewhere between them?
A dad that had both of his kids get engaged this past year is now enjoying dialogue with them as they move forward with premarital counseling. The goals of the counseling programs are to affirm what God has brought together and encourage engagement in some tough conversations that may not surface during what Gary Chapman, author of the 
