“I’ll never forgive him–ever!” Her words hung in the air as I prayed what to say. Would she ever hear any words of caution if I said them? I doubted she was aware of the scripture warning in Matthew 18: 21-35 that ends with, “My heavenly Father will do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive your brother from his heart.” You see, the slave owed his master 10,000 talents which the slave could not ever…
It’s funny how calendars run some years. This year of 2018 is no exception. On Valentine’s Day we also have Ash Wednesday. This is the beginning of Lent–a time of self-reflection and repentance. A time to re-commit our lives and living to Jesus, the one who knows us best and loves us most. Easter falls on April 1–April Fool’s Day. I’m sure unbelievers watching the events of those few days some 2,000 years ago were sure Jesus’ followers were fools,…
One of the most unique gifts given this Christmas was a head scratcher. I inquired and learned it was from Bed, Bath & Beyond. It took some searching, but I finally found it there for a mere $4. I love it. It has no batteries to replace and it gives a great massage. It’s easy to use. Just grab the handle, put the fingers on your head, and plunge away. If scratching your head causes creative juices to flow, you might…
Jeremiah 30:7 speaks of Jacob’s distress. It reads: Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s distress, But he will be saved from it. We refer to this distress as The Great Tribulation. The word distress in the original Hebrew can also be translated “trouble, tribulation.” Jacob here refers to Israel. All those who look to Jesus as their Savior, are a part of Israel. A modern teaching (within the…
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with out weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). That word weakness in the above scripture is one of those Biblical words that weighs 100 pounds, it’s so full of meaning. It not only covers sickness and disease. It also covers our failure to understand or to do great and glorious things. It also means to restrain from…
If you want a delicious cookie for a very special occasion these will fill the bill. YIELD: 10-12 (I’d double this recipe for the cookies–not the piecrust.) Apple Pie Cookies Make this Never-Fail Piecrust but don’t put it in a pie pan or cook it yet. 5 C. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 1 t. salt 3 t. brown sugar 1 lb (2 C.) lard ( solid Crisco) (make your 2 C. generous) 1 T. vinegar 1 egg, slightly beaten…
With apologies swarming around like a thick cloud of gnats these days, we need to examine the difference. To apologize, according to Dictionary.com, is “to offer an excuse for some fault, insult, failure, or injury. To make a formal defense in speech or writing.” An apology is “an expression of one’s regret, remorse, or sorrow for having insulted, failed, injured, or wronged another.” You can regret wronging another and still not change. You’re still not forgiven. It’s a pretend…
The day after we were married over fifty-five years ago, the Supreme Court of this land handed down the edict that prayer was no longer allowed in schools. In January 1973, just forty-five years ago, that same court made abortion legal. According to the Center for Disease and Control, at the end of 2013, there have been 51,888,303 abortions reported to that department since 1970. The Bible tells us in Hosea 8:7 that if you sow the wind, you’ll…
For the past five months I’ve been learning new software to audio record my God’s Little Miracle Book (I, II, & III) series. After recording in two-hour segments at the local Johnson County Library MakerSpace and spending looooong hours in editing, they are now finished and up on Amazon.com for Audible, Amazon download, and iTunes. I was inspired to do this project when the director of a nursing home I visit every week for my chaplain duties asked me to…
We recently left a cruise ship. It’s a long, but very organized process. Each room is assigned to a group number when the passengers arrive. When the ship has docked the final time, each group is to gather in the theatre area until your number is called. You may wait an hour or two, depending on how the disembarking is flowing. As I sat there I watched people. A certain TV station blared on the large screens. Most watched mindlessly,…