I grew up being a “people pleaser.” You know those kids… they hate to make the teacher have to fuss. They don’t like to upset their parents with bad behavior. They don’t want to let their friends down at school. Then those kids grow up to be adults who are not good at saying “no” when someone asks them to help out on a weeknight once a week or who aim to please those around them in order to avoid conflict. Continue reading “People Pleaser”
Adopted by the Father of Love
What do we think of when we hear the word adoption? We might think of two parents longing for a child, maybe children from other countries, or even a child right from your hometown being brought into a family that was not originally theirs. What people tend to forget is that adoption is Biblical. Continue reading “Adopted by the Father of Love”
The Greatest Commission (Part 1)
Several years before moving to Meridian, I lived in Atlanta, and life was great (it still is…don’t worry). Growing up in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta, brought many advantages. Just thirty minutes north was the country, thirty minutes south was Atlanta, and anything you needed was just around the corner. Continue reading “The Greatest Commission (Part 1)”
Happiness or Joy?
Depression is not a popular topic. Usually, because it makes people uncomfortable or they don’t understand it. The truth is depression is a darkness that can plague anyone at any time. Unfortunately, it is something I fight every single day. Continue reading “Happiness or Joy?”
Growing Through Doubt
My journey to becoming a pastor began in the crucible of doubt. During my early 20’s, I struggled with doubts about the basic truths of the universe. I made a profession of faith as a child, but now I wasn’t so sure. Was there a God? Was Jesus even a real person? Continue reading “Growing Through Doubt”
What I Have Learned From The Hummingbirds
My wife and I moved from Georgia into our retirement home at Dalewood Shores in Lauderdale over a decade ago. We enjoy working in our yard, growing flowers and observing God’s wild creations like the birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. Every summer there seems to be an abundance of beautifully colored hummingbirds of all sizes visiting the flowers in our yard. For some reason, we didn’t have too many hummingbirds at our former Georgia home, so here I find them fascinating. Continue reading “What I Have Learned From The Hummingbirds”
Good News: Be Vulnerable!
James Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) was a remarkable man, one I have come to admire. He was a missionary who spent fifty-one years founding the China Inland Mission. That résumé bullet was not easy to attain. In fact, I would venture to say that very few have the same grit and faithfulness Taylor had in preparation. Taylor was not a rich man; neither was he skilled, and he was even scorned by his own church when proposing missionary work in what they called “barbaric” China. Continue reading “Good News: Be Vulnerable!”
Diamonds in the Rough
When trying to decide the best thing to write about, given a blank canvas to work with, one word remained constant with me throughout my praying and asking God just exactly what He wanted to say through me. The word may seem like such a small minute word that can often be overused, a word so often not put into action as it was intended to, and a word that is so important in the lives of everyone. That one small word is: friendship. Continue reading “Diamonds in the Rough”
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
2 Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith and not by sight.” (Berean Literal Bible)
As a typical adolescent, I suffered from the same genetic flaw as every other teen…. I was inflicted with the neurological disorder of “know-it-all.” At the ripe old age of 16, without a care in the world, I was armed with the knowledge and experience that only high school drama could bring, and I stood gracious enough to share my opinions as a gift to everyone who was wise enough to listen, especially my parents. Continue reading “You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know”
Watch Your Step
Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”
A year ago I was leaving the elementary school where I teach piano to go grab a quick lunch between students. I decided to take a shortcut across part of the schoolyard instead of taking the sidewalk to the gate that leads to the parking lot. As I stepped onto the grass, I noticed a few feet ahead of me a nice-sized hole in the ground, and it looked deep- definitely something to avoid. Seconds later I was sprawled on the ground—cell phone, purse and car keys flying in different directions, and my right ankle immediately began to throb. Continue reading “Watch Your Step”