Dr. Vivek H. Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, recently related in a New York Times article the sad story of one of his patients.
The man worked for years in the food industry with a modest salary and humble lifestyle. Then he won the lottery. Overnight, his life changed. He quit his job and moved into a large house in a gated community. Continue reading
Filed under Money, Passage To Ponder
My wife, Norma Jean, is a wonderful cook. This is not just the opinion of a prejudiced husband, just ask anyone who has been the recipient of her culinary delights.
Among the favorites of our kids, grandkids and college students are her homemade rolls. She uses the receipt from my Mom, and so they are affectionately called “Mattie Rolls.”
I asked her “how much yeast does it take to make a batch?” She said two tablespoons will make 48 rolls. The yeast is mixed into the other ingredients and is unseen, but produces a wonderfully delicious result. Continue reading
Filed under Parables of Jesus, Passage To Ponder
Sometimes good isn’t good enough. The task requires 100%.
If 99.9% is good enough then…
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Norman Vincent Peale once told about finding a big, black cigar when he was a little boy. Quickly he slipped into an alley and lit it up. Peale said it didn’t taste good, but made him feel grown up. Until…. Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Two weeks ago at the Southside Lectures Russ Bowman presented a lesson simply entitled, “Train Your Children.”
It was personal. Powerful. And penetrating. It was the impassioned plea of a father who has raised his children, continues to care about them, and fervently desires for Christian parents to seriously consider their God given family responsibilities Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
Richard Swenson is a physician, futurist, and author who wrote a book entitled, “Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.”He describes modern society as harried, hassled, and overloaded with no room left for rest.
Dr Swenson observes, “Overload is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress. Margin is having time to read it twice. Overload is fatigue. Margin is energy. Overload is red ink. Margin is black ink. Overload is hurry. Margin is calm. Overload is anxiety. Margin is security. Overload is a disease of our day. Margin is the cure.” Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder
The other day our grandchildren, Miles and Katherine, came over to our house to swim. As we stood on the pool deck, Miles exclaimed, “Look, Papaw, there’s a black Asian beetle.”
Honestly, I didn’t know anything about its ethnicity. I just wanted to throw it out in the yard.
However, 8 year old Miles, began to speculate how it arrived from Asia. Maybe on a cargo ship from China, he opined. Regardless, he was very excited about the little bitty beetle. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
Steve Shepherd tells a story about some construction workers who drove to their local lumber yard. One of them walked into the office and said, “We need some four-by-twos.”
“You mean two-by-fours, don’t you?” The clerk asked.
The man said, “I’ll go check,” and went back to the truck. He returned and said, “Yeah, I meant two-by-fours.”
“All right. How long do you need them?” asked the clerk. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
“I take this [Ps 19] to be the greatest poem in The Psalms and one of the greatest lyrics in the world,” opined C. S. Lewis in his book Reflections on the Psalms.
Multiple commentators and authors laud Psalm 19 as one of the noblest and greatest examples of Hebrew poetry. I would encourage you to pause for a minute and read it.
The Psalm naturally divides itself into three sections all of which ultimately give glory to God, proclaiming His reality and affirming His everlasting existence Continue reading
Filed under Discipleship, Passage To Ponder
“Is God Dead?”
These 3 words on the April 8th issue of Time Magazine stirred the emotions of a nation in 1966.
I remember it. I was a senior at Cascade High School in Clayton, Indiana. Not that I remember seeing the magazine, because my Dad subscribed to Truth Magazine, not Time Magazine. Continue reading
Filed under Passage To Ponder, Psalms
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