I began reading the Lord of the Rings to my daughter, Serrie, as a bed-time reading. We recently finished reading the Chronicles of Narnia, which took several years (I kept on falling asleep!=)), and now we are onto something new. One of my favorite scenes from the Lord of the Rings is one of the last […]
I spent a good deal of time yesterday watching basketball on TV. The NBA playoffs are here, and I just subscribed to an online cable service to do so. My excuse was that I did it for my father-in-law who loves basketball, but I secretly wanted it for myself as well. When I got bored watching basketball (the […]
Why did God give us the law in the Old Testament? And is it still relevant today? I used to think that in the Old Testament, the laws were given to the people to measure whether they would be accepted by God or not. Those who kept the law would be accepted (or saved) by God […]
“How can I find out God’s calling on my life?” was the question a young man I was meeting with yesterday asked. And here was my answer: 1) Consider your giftings, 2) Pay attention to your passion, and 3) Will it meet the needs of the world? As you are considering a career path or searching […]
You may find it surprising that we are actually encouraged to reason/bargain with God. I don’t mean by that we should tell God that if He will do such and such, we will do such and such. For example, if God will give us a 6-figure salary job, we will tithe. (We are supposed to tithe […]
Today is the day after the Resurrection Sunday (Easter). Yesterday was exhilarating. Our church has prepared and served our community in an effort to draw them to Christ. Many guests came and heard the gospel because of the efforts of many who thought first about others rather than themselves. And for that, I am truly […]
Have you ever felt utterly alone? You felt like you have been rejected even by God? When I first came to Washington State as a young man in 1999, I cried for days. I left my home in Virginia – my parents, friends, church – and replanted myself in WA. But I have never felt abandoned […]
Greetings, you sons and daughters of the Most High, in whom are bestowed every blessing you could desire! Why such preponderant greeting? To remind you of who you are. You are not just an office worker, a teacher, stay-at-home mom, or a dad, but you are royalty! You will rule the earth one day, and you […]
Stop and smell the roses sometime. I had a rare time of reflection this morning as I strolled in the park next to my school for a quiet prayer. The sun was out, and the sky was blue. The birds were singing, and the leaves were sprouting from the trees. And I reflected upon the words […]
It makes a difference having a specific purpose. I’ve been running off and on now for a couple years. But for the first year and a half, I ran simply to keep in shape. I never ran more than 3 miles at a time. And that was very difficult. But for the last 6 months […]