A good friend of mine taught me this line, and I use it probably far too often. Now don’t get all bent out of shape with the idea of God laughing at our plans. I’m sure he’s not sinisterly laughing at our miserable and often pathetic strategies for accomplishing greatness. Although he really should but…
The Christmas season brings with it several parties and celebrations. We have family and friends, coworkers, special teams of people with whom we work, bosses, teammates and the list goes one. Each one of those has a special list of invitees. We wouldn’t invite our boss to a family gathering. Or a friend from college…
Imagine a girl with no right to the throne marrying into a royal family and being coronated as the queen of a massive empire. Add to it a little twist for good measure! This is kind of how God works you know. This story is the one of Esther in the Old Testament. You can…
As we continue through the Christmas story we come face to face with the shepherds. You know the crew that were surprised by the angels while they were out minding their own business. Unexpecting is putting it mildly! They were shocked! There are actually two stores in the Bible where unexpecting shepherds are confronted with…
There was a woman who was advanced in years. Not to sound too disrespectful but she was actually old. I don’t mean how 40 is old when you’re 10 years old. This woman was well advanced in years. Being old isn’t an issue. The problem was that this woman was told she was going to…
Have you ever seen one of those surprise moments? You know one of those unexpected proposals. The kind where the bride has no idea it’s coming. The kind where the secret is kept so well and it is so meticulously planned out that shock and awe are plastered on everyone’s faces. It’s kind of like…
I really like to garden. I plant flowers around my house and tons of plants in my garden. I water them and fertilize them. I even cut them back in the winter, at least the ones that are supposed to last year after year. But never in all my years have I ever had a…
Are you a dreamer? You know the kind of dream you see and experience when you’re deep in sleep. I can’t remember the last time I had a dream. As kids our dreams are active and filled with color and excitement. Sometimes those dreams turn dark and fill with scary images – we call those…
Noise is everywhere. This time of year seems to just amplify that reality. All you have to do is go to the mall and listen as the Christmas music that’s piped through the less than adequate sound system. Go to McDonald’s and hear the hustle and bustle of yelling children. Even in churches through the…
Away in a manger. Silent Night. O Holy Night. Joy To The World. These songs will fill our churches over the coming days. They are filled with joy and wonder, awe and excitement. The lights on the trees remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. The porcelain manger scenes show the precious…
