Miles That Matter

John Steinbeck’s delightful little volume Travels with Charley fascinates me each time I read it. It tells how the author and his dog took to the highways, traveling hundreds of miles, encountering all sorts of interesting people and intriguing situations. William Least Heat Moon, of American Indian stock, wrote a similar work many years later […]

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Mother’s Indelible Impression

Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her rejoice who gave birth to you. Proverbs 23:25 There is no more influential or powerful role on earth than a mother?s. Significant as political, military, education, or religious public figures may be, none can compare to the impact made by mothers. Their words are […]

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Memories

My desk was top-heavy with research works on Paul the apostle and his century-one letter to the Philippians. Well-worn volumes, lexicon, dictionary, concordance, Greek New Testament, maps, charts, several versions of the Scriptures, pen, pencils, a couple of stacks of paper needed to be put away. I had just completed a manuscript and my heart […]

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Knowing Your Child

Educate a child according to his life requirements; even when he is old he will not veer from it. Proverbs 22:6 MLB When it comes to rearing children, developing a strong home where happiness and harmony can flourish, there is a primary starting point: knowing your child. This is the most profound insight, the single […]

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Five Cheers for Mom

She looks well to the ways of her household, . . . Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also. (Proverbs 31:27-28) What does motherhood require? Transparent tenderness, authentic spirituality, inner confidence, unselfish love, and self-control. Quite a list, isn’t it? Almost more than we should expect. Perhaps that explains why Erma Bombeck […]

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Creating a Legacy: Preparing the Stones

“Papa, papa,” the boy pointed to a stack of twelve stones as he yanked on his grandfather’s tunic. “What do these stones mean?” “Oh Jacob, let me tell you a story about our Lord’s hand of deliverance. . . .” After forty years of pitching tents and digging graves, the children of Israel finally crossed […]

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Christmas All Year Long

Read Matthew 1-2. Have you ever thought about giving something away every day of the year leading up to Christmas? These daily gifts could be called our “Christmas projects,” one per day, every day till Christmas. Just think of the fun of being able to say “Merry Christmas” in July! Here are a few suggestions: […]

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Beyond Today

If you can look into the seeds of time, And say which grain will grow, and which will not, Speak, then, to me. —William Shakespeare1 Who wouldn’t want to hear from someone like that? Who hasn’t felt him- or herself standing on tiptoe, straining to see what lies ahead? Every generation has had its share […]

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Analyzing Unselfishness

Read Philippians 2:1-4. To be “humble in heart” as Christ stated He was, is to be submissive to the core. It involves being more interested in serving the needs of others than in having one’s own needs met. Someone who is truly unselfish is generous with his or her time and possessions, energy and money. […]

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A Gift for Dad

In an age of equal rights and equal time, it seems only fair to give dads equal attention. Moms get the lion’s share of the parenting accolades, and let’s be honest—they deserve every bit they receive. Too often though, dads get lost in the shuffle. So for the next few moments, move over, ladies . […]

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