An Old Friend

An Old Friend

A few years ago, I arrived at my office one morning and opened my email to see a name in my inbox that made me think, “could it be?”  I clicked on it, and sure enough, it was someone I knew from Gaithersburg High School in Maryland in 1975. He had been talking to a mutual friend from back in that day when my name came up and they both wondered where I was.  He then Googled my name (which is scary), recognized the picture (even scarier), and then emailed me.  

Black Friday

Black Friday

For American retailers, the most profitable shopping day of the year is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. It is not called Black because it is dark and ominous, but because it is the day most stores move out of the red and into the black budget wise. Black Friday is the result of a mass spending frenzy during which consumers move in herds (hoards might be a more accurate term), and release the funds they’ve been holding on to, or use the credit cards th

Say Cheese

SAY CHEESE

I’ve never worked inside a fast-food restaurant, so I’m not sure, but there must be a high level of pressure to sell cheese.  I’ve noticed, especially at a drive-through speaker, that saying the words, ‘No Cheese” has an adverse effect on the proficiency of the servers. It is a simple instruction, but the presumption of cheese is so powerful that it causes bad things to happen.  After saying “No cheese”, all bets are off!  

      I’ve been sneered at and told to p

Bonjour

Bonjour!

     Apart from a couple of déjà vu’s, my exposure to French culture was limited to French Fries, French Toast, and French Vanilla Ice cream until I travelled to Paris a decade ago. I feared my visit to France might make me too sophisticated and erudite for my own good, but c'est la vie. I went anyway.

     By birth, I’m Choctaw, Irish, and Spanish, but there is anecdotal evidence of French blood. I like hors d'oeuvres and chicken cordon bleu, I’m prone to faux paus

All Hat and No Cattle

All Hat and No Cattle

Real cowboys and cowgirls have a term for people who like to dress like one of them without being one of them. Wearing a great pair of boots, a western shirt, wrangler jeans and a cowboy hat may give you the style of a cowboy, but it does not give you the lifestyle. City slickers who adorn themselves in western attire, people who make promises but don’t follow through, dogs who bark but don’t bite, and people who profess faith but don’t live by it, all

Little Things

Little Things

There were many secret missions during the Civil War – some succeeded and some failed. Two of the missions that failed, although only in small ways, ended up having a great impact on the outcome of the war.  Small things are easy to overlook, or if noticed, even easy to be neglected on purpose.

     The first of the two missions occurred during the Union siege of Petersburg, Virginia.  The commanders suggested to General Grant that a tunnel should be dug to all

The Nature of Grace - PT 3

The Nature of Prevenient Grace

In our first installment of the nature of grace series, we looked at Common grace. This is the grace that every human being who ever lived or ever will live receives. It is the grace of God that allows the sinner to live and enjoy the blessings of God’s creation. Last week, we looked at God’s Special grace. This is the grace that is bestowed upon those whom God chose before the foundation of the world to be saved.

Today we close out our discus

The Nature of Grace - PT 2

The Nature of Special Grace

Last time we looked at the subject of common grace. This is the grace that is bestowed upon every single human being who has ever lived. It is the unmerited favor of God in his creation. He allows all people everywhere to live and enjoy the world and all of its blessings even when they are in rebellion against him. Even though according to Scripture we are all born dead in our trespasses and sins, living according to the course of this world and

The Nature of Grace - PT 1

The Nature of Common Grace

A Biblical definition of the grace of God would be, the unmerited favor of God. In other words, God gives you something that you are not worthy of. This can include his kindness, his love, his patience, and his salvation. In our world today, we see the need for the grace of God in every aspect of life. Whether it be in the home, at work or school, during our leisure time or even at church, our sin causes us to be in need of the grace of God at all

Dangerous Beauty

Dangerous Beauty

After inexplicably escaping her habitat at the San Francisco Zoo, a beautiful Bengal tiger named Tatiana killed one young man and mauled two others.  Confused, scared and out of her element, she had to be killed to prevent further loss of human life.  Viewing the broadcasted report, it was impossible to not marvel at her brilliant coloring, exquisite striping, and elegant movements as well as the surreal truth that something so beautiful could prove so dead

Stop Asking Jesus into Your Heart

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart

If your childhood was anything like mine, you grew up hearing that to go to heaven you had to ask Jesus into your heart. Or, maybe you were told to walk the isle at church and accept Jesus by repeating a prayer that the pastor said. This is exactly what happened to me.

I remember going to a youth event that a close friend had invited me to. At this event we played games and enjoyed snacks and then we listened to some man tell a story from t

The King's Heart

The King's Heart

Two decades ago, my daughter accompanied me on a missions trip to Morocco. At the direction of King of Morrocco, through an intermediate, we were invited, to visit Morrocco to discuss the issues and beliefs that divide Christians and Muslims. We were part of a small delegation of evangelicals on a mission to build a bridge  – not one constructed of steel and concrete, but of understanding, tolerance and compassion.  What made this mission unique was who ini

It Doesn't Take Much

It Doesn't Take Much

Years ago, our church family implemented a watermelon field fundraising project. The next time I join in on raising watermelons I will remember these lessons: 1) it is hard work, 2) you are going to get dirty, 3) you have to prepare the soil, 4) you have to have good seed, 5) you need good irrigation, 6) you need help, 7) you have to plan for a harvest, 8) you have to plan a market, and 9) watermelons explode!

Once the watermelons were ready to harvest,

INTERPRETING BIBLE PROPHECY

 Interpreting Bible Prophecy 

 After I became a Christian in 1996, I could not get enough of the Bible. I would read it for hours on end devouring chapter after chapter. I was drawn to the gospels and the narratives in the Old Testament. These wonderful accounts that so vividly displayed the character of God were just beautiful to me. Soon after I had devoured the gospels, the Epistles were next on my list as I continued to read the Historical books and the Pentateuch in th

Blowin' in the Wind

Blowin’ in the Wind

As I was out walking one day, I noticed a constant noise. It was a collection of individual sounds that took turns being the loudest. The palm leaves above me sounded like clashing hand fans, the bushes next to me made a noise like rustling brooms, the reeds in the pond whispered with a faint whistle, and the loose leaves scraped across the street like small pieces of sandpaper. It was a cacophony of different sound effects all caused by the same force –