“I thought to myself, ‘Come now, I will try self-indulgent pleasure to see if it is worthwhile.’ But I found that it also is futile” (Ecclesiastes 2:1, New English Translation). Many people live with the belief that “things” make us happy. The more things we possess, the happier we become.…
“Let each one examine his own work. Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else” (Galatians 6:4, New English Translation). We can take a deep breath and get back to a semblance of normal with the hurry and scurry of the holidays now behind…
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12, New King James Version). Many of us are very uncomfortable in talking about our mortality. Deep inside we know we have a limited number of days on earth, but we prefer to go through…
“For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Romans 12:4-5, New King James Version). We did it again! A friend recently flew in for a…
“Why are you sleeping? ” he asked them. “Get up and pray, so that you won’t fall into temptation” (Luke 22:46, Christian Standard Bible). I find alarm clocks annoying but necessary. I am not one of those people whose eyes pop open automatically, and who cheerfully jumps up to face the new…
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17, Christian Standard Bible). It’s that time of year again when we hear the word “exchange” a lot. There are gift exchanges and cookie exchanges. And let’s…
“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, Christian Standard Bible). One of the strangest conversations I’ve had was with…
“Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, ‘God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.’ So Joseph died at the age of 110. After they embalmed him, his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt” (Genesis 50:25-26,…
“He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him” (John 1:10, New English Translation). As I sat in church, the words of the song “Down from His Glory” washed over me. Once again, I was reminded of the glory God…