Posts from 2023 (Page 3)

“Happiness is not the absence of problems; it’s the ability to deal with them.” ~Unknown Recently, at the beginning of a meeting, one of the supervisors I work with at my “day job” was battling “allergy season.” As he was apologizing for coughing, etc. He said aloud, “I’m tired of losing this battle.” As soon as he made that statement, I immediately thought of how this response is typical of all of us who are dealing with so many challenges.…

Several years ago, Paul Harvey reported on his noon news of a 73-year-old man who was pinned beneath his farm tractor for four days and nights in driving rain and a terrible storm. Concerned friends went to see about him just in time. He survived his ordeal, but did lose a leg below the knee. Several newspapers picked up on this little story and centered upon the amazing fact that a 73-year-old man could live after being pinned beneath a…

The date July 4th holds special significance to our nation. It marks the date, in 1776, on which the founding fathers signed the Declaration Of Independence, declaring our independence from England and our determination to be a free and sovereign nation. Accordingly, we celebrate July 4th as Independence Day. The United States of America have stood as a symbol of freedom to oppressed peoples around the globe for well over two hundred years. We have repeatedly defended our freedom and…

A local business owner told me he received a bogus $20 bill from a customer and did not realize it. It was discovered by a bank teller when he was making his daily deposit. When the bank showed him the fake bill next to a real one, he could not believe how little difference there was between the two. The color, shape, detail, and even fiber looked identical. The only difference was in texture, which the teller noticed right away…

There is a great need in our day for fathers to live up to their God-given tasks. One of the reasons that the church is as weak as it is in many places is because fathers are not fulfilling their spiritual duties. One of the reasons that so many of the youth of our day are involved in drugs, premarital sex, gangs activity, and a host of other sinful things is because fathers are not fulfilling their responsibilities. It is…

Several years ago Michael Hyatt posted a blog titled “How much business is your profanity costing you?” In the blog Hyatt explains that many are using offensive language because it creates an edge. It seems this attempt to be edgy may answer the age-old “Why?’ that is often asked. Why do people dress provocatively? To be more edgy. Why do people use unacceptable language and tell inappropriate stories and jokes? To be more edgy. Why do people actively support and…

Scooby Doo is a popular cartoon that first appeared in the 1960s. Even though it has been through several iterations over the years, each episode follows the same formula. There is a villain doing a crime. Scooby and the mystery gang set up a plan and capture the villain. Then the villain’s identity is revealed. Regardless of the make-up applied, the mask worn, or the disguise donned, the true identity is always revealed. They cannot stay hidden as their crime…

Last trip I made to Mexico; my father gave me some habanero seeds in a small envelope. He knows I like fresh habaneros, so he usually saves some of the best seeds from the habaneros in the Yucatan. When I got back to Decatur, I placed the envelope in my drawer next to my car keys. Days and weeks passed, and I forgot that I have placed the envelope in my drawer, until I started to plant some tomatoes plants…

In the blockbuster movie series, Back to the Future, we see many interesting things, but one important lesson even children easily notice is that decisions and actions based on those decisions can completely change long term outcomes in life! Through the application of self-discipline (Galatians 5:23) decisions become actions which change the courses of our lives. Self-discipline is certainly a key ingredient in life’s recipe, but without good, proper decisions, self-discipline could actually be used to pursue an evil goal.…

THE PRICE TO BE PAID As her seven children grew up, they did not have their grandparents to cheer them up and encourage them! Those seven children did not have grandparents to see them at school events, at plays or at a sports event. There was no hint of grandparents during the graduation ceremonies of elementary school or middle school. There was never a greeting card in the mail of encouragement wishing you a happy birthday or even a dollar…

As the Israelites approach the land of Canaan, they “became impatient on the way” (Num. 21:4). They begin to criticize God and Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this worthless food”(Num 21:5). Fed up with their complaining, Jehovah sends “fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died”(Num 21:6). This has an…

Picture your worst possible day working out in your yard. It is 127 degrees out there (well, it feels like it) and you have been sweating profusely. As you were cutting your grass, the wind intentionally changed directions every time you turned and it blew all of the grass trimmings all over your sweat-drenched body. But, of course, your yard has as much dirt as it does grass, so you’re now covered in dirt from head to toe. You spend…