https://youtu.be/8bhDR60WsuA?feature=shared Mountaintop experiences are great. We need them every once in an awhile to regroup, refresh, and revive. But we are called to live there. God does His best work in us and with us while we are in the valley. Look at 1 Kings 18:16-46 When I focus in the emotional high I place performance over people. When I focus in the emotional high I make me the messiah. When I focus in the emotional high I think bigger is better. When I focus in the emotional high I replace righteousness with running. Moses. On the mountaintop he missed his purpose. Peter. O ..read more

https://youtu.be/QpB7WFC_1u0?feature=shared Sometimes we just get too busy. As Doris’s dad would have said, “That ain’t no good!” It’s not healthy. You’re not happy. And it’s not holy. So, what do I do when I recognize I’m too busy? Here are a few things that might help. Take a break and watch this. How to know you’re too busy? You get distracted from people. You get discouraged with life. You get disconnected from God. So what do I do to get unbusy? Remember your purpose. Establish your priorities. Organize your problems. Evaluate your people. And create a plan ..read more

Chonda and I, and our two sisters, used to play games when we were travelling in the car with our parents. Those were the days before iPads and other screens to keep kids occupied. They were also the days before car seats, seat belts, and AC. Come to think of it, they might have been the days before automobiles. We would take long road trips and to break the monotony, we would play games. The Alphabet Game was a good one. See who could find a word on road signs that began with every letter of the alphabet. Thank God for Quaker State Oil, and zoos. X was just an impossible task. We would finall ..read more

I’m not sure if I posted Day 2. I thought I did.   Just in case, all three days are here.  This is a form to help in daily, intentional self-reflection. Spend 2 to 10 minutes on each question, 1 form per day, 12-50 minutes each day, and ask yourself some hard questions during Holy Week. We will end with Good Friday. Monday       Cleansing Tuesday  Watching Wednesday   Cost   Monday Cleansing Self-Assessment Work Sheet     HOLY WEEK  March 25-31,24   And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought ..read more

3/19/24 Lent Psalm 85 Cherished Terms  Many years ago, Richard Parrot wrote a fascinating paper on Cherished Terms. He said there are certain terms in every discipline, but particularly in the church, that have a special relationship with that body of people. They are words that have a meaning, apart from the definition, steeped in the usage and history of that group. Words that are cherished. For example, grace. We all know the Webster’s Dictionary meaning of grace, but to those of us who are Christ-followers that word brings up feelings and ideas far beyond the technical definition. Sal ..read more

3/14/24 Lent Psalm 80  Doris and I are at an age in life where every statement we make at home is answered by “what?”   “Did you get the mail today?” “What?”  “I need to go to the grocery store.” “What did you say?”  “When did you have your hearing checked?” “What about cashing a check?”  It’s just what happens. Don’t worry. If you are not there yet, you will be. WHAT?  Sometimes repeating is not a bad thing. To get a point across, to emphasize how really important something is, or to verify the truth of a statement, repetition can be very helpful. When I hear or ..read more

3/13/24 Lent Psalm 79 IFTTT  The history of the children of Israel has always been an “If this then that” relationship. God designed it that way, at least from His side. “If you keep my commandments, you will be blessed.” “If you call on my Name I will answer.” “If you bow down before Me, I will be your protector.” Who knew that one day we would develop an APP for that?  IFTTT means “If This Then That.” If it gets to be 6pm then Alexa will turn the lights on. If the outside temperature hits 74 then Nest will turn on the AC. If the meat on the grill reaches 145 then MyGrill will buzz ..read more

https://youtu.be/srGkk1yBtuI?feature=shared All relationships take work, at least the ones you want to maintain. Here are 7 assumptions to help you make your relationships better. 1. Assume that God is already at work on your relationship 2. Assume that complex problems do not require complex solutions. 3. Assume that there are exceptions and they create hope. 4. Assume that relationships are always changing. 5. Assume that goals and objectives must be co-created. 6. Assume that the relationship is not the problem, the problem is the problem. 6. Assume that focusing on the person works. For mo ..read more

My friend Chris says I bring up two things all the time, the fact that I had shingles 2 years ago and the fact that Doris and I went to Italy last fall. I don’t think that is true, but both of those things had a profound impact on me.  When we were in Italy we met and spent time with an incredible young missionary couple, James and Heidi Romano. They are in Reggello, in Florence, and work with Christ is the Answer mission. Their commitment to Jesus and to their country is astounding. And… the story is made better by the fact that the mission work was established by their parents who, as y ..read more

  My grandfather was eccentric. That is a nice word for “a little bit weird.”   He was my mother’s father, we called him Papa, and by the time I came to know him, he worked as a trolley conductor in Cincinnati and a security guard. After a while, he and Nanny (we had very creative names) retired to an old farmhouse in Cynthiana, Kentucky. When we visited, Papa would sit in the living room with us, enjoying the conversation. He would begin to chuckle to himself. We knew a story was coming but first, he was telling it to himself and being fully entertained by it. He would tell this fun ..read more