Early warning signs. How often do we see them and not pay attention? It may be something simple like "REDUCE SPEED AHEAD" or "HIDDEN DRIVEWAY." In my case, I have been known to ignore them all together. I have driven past more than one "ROAD CLOSED" sign, only to find out the road really is closed!
Well, it's (finally!) come time to close the books on 2020. Some of you may be looking at the year 2021 with a sense of relief, while others may be wondering how it can be any different. Not to be discouraging, but the likelihood of...
As I write this, the last of the leaves are clinging to the trees and the final votes have not yet been cast in the presidential election. Hopefully, by the time you read this, we will know who it is that will be guiding our country through the next four years.
Choices. We like having them, but sometimes the decisions that go with them are not easy to make. Paper or plastic? Beef or fish? Vacation or staycation? Red or blue? Sometimes our choices have very little consequence, but others can impact our lives for a long time.
Virtual meetings, virtual work, virtual church, virtual concerts, planning for virtual schooling, and last weekend, I attended a virtual wedding! I'm sure by now most of us thought we would be virtually done with all of this! While that may not seem like the case, every day brings us one step closer to getting back to normal.
I recently received a call from a friend of mine concerned about the issues of the days we are living in... and the church's response. These are indeed challenging (although by no means unprecedented) times. Ecclesiastes 1:9 is just as true now as it was when it was written thousands of years ago "...There is nothing new under the sun." The problems are the same–the only thing that has changed is the speed and distance at which we can communicate, which makes them seem bigger and more prevalent.
"What in the world is going on?" Racism, riots, and 'rona dominate the headlines, and for many it feels like the world is falling apart. Our hope is not in this world, however–it is found in the Lord. In 2 Timothy 3:13, Paul tells Timothy "evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived."
Can I ask for a favor? Will you pray for your pastor today? “Of course,” you say! “Why?” Because, believe it or not, he is facing one of the most difficult decisions of his ministry right now. The pressure is on to get it right.
Cornerstones. In our modern-day construction of wood and steel structures we don't hear much about them anymore. However, the cornerstone serves a crucial function in a masonry building. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
"There's just not enough time in the day..." How often have you heard that phrase? How often have you said that phrase? The fact is, if there were 26 hours in a day, it still wouldn't be enough for most of us! Don't believe me? Do you realize you have an extra day this month? 24 hours that you did not have last year, and won't have for another 3 years. Yes, a leap year means that we will have extra time... and we'll still be amazed about how time flies!