God has forever changed the world — past, present, and future tense. He did this through Jesus and the Cross. At first glance, God’s chosen team in the Bible for world change might not look capable or qualified. Here’s how one verse describes Jesus selection of people on His all-world impact team: “13 The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. T

One of my buddies in small group has been traveling. He shared some photos with me of different church buildings and architecture. The most recent church was a historical church building in a metropolitan city. The church was decorated inside with ornate, heavy wooden furniture. The cathedral ceilings were very high. Even looking at the picture on my iPhone my eyes were instantly pulled upward. All around the huge cavernous room were beautiful stained glass windows.  This par

“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV  May I be one of the first to wish you Happy New Year!  It is my prayer this year — each of us can discover God’s will, in everything. As the verse above describes, we’ll need God’s help in order to accomplish this. “Lord, may You give us more of Your wis

Making commitments today is difficult for many people. We’re all trying to keep our options open for better opportunities. Who wants to book a vacation to Florida in the Spring, if I have a chance, later, to go to Hawaii? Having freedom to choose is a gift to enjoy. However, our freedom of choice can also become conflicting and confusing.   Have you noticed how long term relationships are tricky. What if I make a hasty decision about a marriage mate. What then? Break ups are

If I were posting on social media the answer to the title above — “What does Christmas mean?” I might say:  “Christmas means I am now in an exclusive relationship!” Many people often post on social media platforms when they’ve committed themselves to an exclusive relationship. Next, we may enter a period of dating and getting to know one another. The Bible says the end goal of dating relationships is marriage; a permanent, forever relationship.   This may be a helpful and rel

I wondered to myself, where does the phrase above—“Tis the season to be jolly”—originate? I went to my source for helpful information, AI Overview. Here is what I discovered - “The phrase originates from the popular Christmas carol “Deck the Halls,” with English lyrics written by Thomas Oliphant 1862.” According to my quick online research, one of the key ideas of the phrase and song, “refers to the festive, Christmas season.” Good enough for me. I am all about having a festi

Snow is still on the ground from earlier in the week. It is making for frigid temperatures. Old timers would say, “One snow sticks around, waiting for another snow.” All signs are pointing toward Christmas. Shoppers scramble to find the final, perfect gift under the tree. Delivery drivers have boxes stacked to the ceiling. The calendar tells us, Christmas Eve is now just twenty days away.  As Christmas music plays in the background, everywhere — everyone is aware, what’s next

“A businessman from Wisconsin went on a business trip to Louisiana. Upon arrival and check-in, he grabbed his laptop, sending an email and quick note to his wife = JENNIFER JOHNSON. Her email address:  JennJohn@world.net    Unfortunately, in his haste he mistyped a single letter and his email was misdirected to JeanJohn@world.net  .  Jean Johnson was in Duluth, Georgia and the wife of preacher who had passed away a couple days earlier. In fact she had just returned home after

Since 1941 the fourth Thursday each year is our national holiday of Thanksgiving, which means the date of the holiday shifts every year. The earliest Thanksgiving can occur is November 22nd; the latest is November 28th. This year Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 27th.    In just a few days families will gather, sharing food, blessings, and expressing  gratefulness for life and abundance.  “Shout praises to the LORD! You are his servants, so praise his name. All who serve i

Who hasn’t thought, “Well, I’ve seen it all now!” Sometimes people get a crazy idea which backfires. We begin running away from our mistakes. We run like our hair is on fire. What’s the most outrageous, funniest thing you’ve seen recently? What has made you laugh?   Connie is always watching hilarious animal videos online. She has favorites with voice overs of people speaking as dogs and cats. She will sit in the recliner laughing out loud. Her laughing often is funnier than