This year for Father’s Day, I recommend some past posts.
There’s a couple of really cool Andy Andrews videos from, Father’s Day 2012
There are some great quotes in the post, Father’s Day.
You’ll find a really interesting and insightful podcast in the post, Who’s Your Daddy, and What Does He Do? (In the gospel of John there’s a pretty intense discussion about, “Who’s your daddy,” between Jesus Christ and the religious leaders!)
Happy Father’s Day Weekend to all you Dad’s!
Do you know why I’m so perplexed when I think about the theory of evolution? I look at humans, and then I look at monkeys, and then I look back at humans again, and it just baffles me. And, now, I am pondering a new question about the theory of evolution.
But first, a quick question about all the monkeys on the planet. If humans did evolve from monkeys, what are we supposed to do or say when we go to the zoo? Do we shy away from the monkey exhibits all together, because we don’t really know what to tell them? Or, do we go and see them anyway and offer the monkeys
Can you and I get our act together to such a degree that we receive more favor from God so He will bless us more? Protect us more? Prosper us more? Heal us more?
Some do think living a better Christian life than others do results in them receiving more of God’s favor. If it’s true, the better life you live the more of God’s favor you get, that means His favor is obtained by
This is Memorial Day Weekend for those living here in the United States. There are a couple of videos below.
Formerly known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day commemorates men and women who died while in military service to the United States.
It began as a way to honor Union and Confederate soldiers following the American Civil War. Later, it was extended, after World War I, to honor American military who died in all wars.
There will be barbecues, visiting friends, road trips, great sales, NBA Playoffs, Major League baseball games, and of course, the Indy 500. Some people even have a longer weekend, as they get Monday, Memorial Day, off from work.
Here in the United States, we should take a little time this weekend to pause and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so we could have freedom. We can also pause and thank God for the freedom we still have, freedom that comes at such a very high price.
If you don’t live here in the United States, take some time this weekend to pause and remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for your country. And, regardless of where we live, we all ought to keep praying to God for our country.
Have you ever just unplugged yourself from it all? I did. Sheer bliss!
No phone calls. No voice mails. No texts. No emails. Bliss!
No Instagram. No Twitter. No Facebook. Bliss!
I unplugged for seven days as Kathy and I took a cruise celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary. Lazy time. Relaxing time. Reading time.
I read two books, seven articles (I printed ahead of time), and
There are some today who would say the greatest person in the world is the president of the most powerful country, the United States of America. Others might say it is the pope, overseeing a church of around 1.2 billion people. Others may say it’s some very benevolent person.
When it comes to the greatest person in the world today,
I’d like to, but I really can’t brag.
It’s been a lot of years.
But compared to them, we have a long way to go.
That lovely lady on the left? It’s her anniversary picture; I still carry it in my wallet. Kathy and I have been married now for 45 years.
I know to some, including me, that’s quite a milestone. But compared to John and Ann of Connecticut, we have a long way to go. They have been married for 83 years!
He’s 104 and she’s 100. I thought doing a story about them on this, my anniversary weekend, might be inspiring to some people. Mostly it’s mind blowing to all of us. Listen to the segment Liz and I did on The Optimistic Spin. And there are some pictures of John and Ann below.
Meanwhile, I am truly grateful to God for my wife and our marriage. And do you think perhaps after another 38 years for us, some bragging might be in order? I do!
Below is the most recent video I could find – from 2014.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms! You’re very, very special!
I wrote the following last year. I recently edited it. It’s a little bit of appreciation for all those ladies we call, Mom! Share it if you think it will bless Mom.
MOM
Some governments use the word “ministry” to describe various functions, like ministry of finance, or ministry of education. The word “ministry” means service. Therefore, the minister of education would be one who serves the country with regards to education.
I believe being a mom is a ministry, a very, very unique service.
No woman can ever study hard enough or prepare long enough to be ready to be a mom. Moms surely need God’s gracious help and encouragement with the responsibilities and challenges.
It actually begins nine months before she is even officially called “Mom.” For nine months she serves with her own body; every day, she carries and nourishes. And, on top of that, her own body grows and grows until the day of the birth! For nine months she literally gives her own body in service.
Then comes the birth itself – one of the the toughest physical jobs a human being can do! And once labor is completed and the new baby arrives in the world, then the service really begins.
Mom begins the constant care for that completely helpless child, even feeding the baby from her own body! Those precious days, for both mom and baby, turn into weeks and months as the little baby begins to grow.
Soon, the little child begins to have some mobility – at first just squirming, then rolling over, and eventually crawling. And then comes the first big step, literally, and the child is now walking and words are coming out of the mouth of this little human being.
Involved in it all is the woman we call “Mom,” teaching, helping, guiding, directing, feeding, holding, loving and caring for this growing child.
And it continues, week after week, month after month, and year after year. As the child grows, Mom continues to minister, now teaching the child right from wrong, as well as a million other things.
Finally, one morning, her child is headed to school and Mom gets a break, sort of. Really, just some time to regroup and prepare for the next phase of being a minister to this child.
Outside influences will often carry diverse opinions about important issues Mom previously taught her child. Mom now ministers by answering questions and helping her child to be logical. She teaches the child God’s Word, which will keep her child on solid ground in a shaky and often confusing world.
In her heart Mom knows God is real, and His Word is true. But she also knows the day will come when her precious child will have to make up his or her own mind. Even though Mom knows her child may some day take another path, she continues faithfully ministering.
The day for her child to make all his or her own decisions is not here yet, and so Mom continues to do her best, loving and guiding and ministering.
The years roll by and the day finally arrives when the child leaves home, and heads out into the world. It is a day of tears: tears of joy her child is grown, tears of sadness knowing she will be apart from someone she has ministered to every day for so many years.
What life will this young person make? What choices? What decisions? Mom knows and has taught her child that choices have consequences, but she also knows she is not going to be there every day anymore.
And so, the next phase of ministering begins for Mom: a friendship relationship as a sister in Christ, ready, if asked, to counsel, lots of prayer, and always, always the love of God.
Ministering moms know, understand and practice the love of God. Her door is never locked; her arms are always open for hugs, in the good times and in the not so good. Her heart, even when hurt, is always full of unconditional love.
And regardless of how old Mom gets, she will always be ministering to her child, some way, somehow, until her last breath. All this, and so much more, is why being a mom is a great ministry, a very, very unique service.
In the past couple of weeks I’ve learned about, from friends or relatives, a 6 year old, a 16 year old, and a 34 year old, all from different families, who all died suddenly. Life is precious. There are no guarantees. Life is fragile.
Offering condolences, encouragement and prayers to families sorrowing is often all we can do. Yes, there is that great day coming when death itself will be abolished. But until that day arrives, the stark reality of our frailty is sometimes very obvious.
I was talking to a friend of mine recently. I don’t remember the book or author he said he was reading, but he told me the book was all about
When our kids were growing up, we told them many times, “You need to change your attitude.” Why? Because attitude is a game changer.
What is your attitude about the direction of your life? How do you feel about your life today, right now? For most people, if things are going well, their attitude is good. But when things are not going well, their attitude is lousy.
Much has been written and taught about attitude, and you’ve probably heard different things over the years. Someone once said,
