“He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”Micah 6:8Can you recall a time growing up and your parents saying to you, “Don’t ask why” to some question you posed simply because they knew if they explained the “why” to you, that you still wouldn’t understand? In counseling others I have come to know ...

“The Longing” “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God i...

“Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession”Psalm 2:8I love peanut butter. I can remember back in grade school and the cafeteria made these delicious honey and peanut butter squares. I would have cut off my right arm for a tray of those things and would pretty much offer my friends everything in my lunch-pale for just one of those peanut butte...

“She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.”Proverbs 31:24Ishtee is my wife’s nickname and in the Hebrew language it means “My Woman” and is a term of endearment used by Jewish men towards for their wives. Today is “my woman’s” birthday and is why we (all 16 of us, Lee and I and our 3 kids as well as their spouses and our 8 grandkids) are waking up at the beach...

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”Galatians 6:9I hate regret because for me regret always has to do with something I either didn’t do or quit or gave up on. And sadly when we quit or give up we will never know what might have been. A jingle comes to mind that I heard years ago, “If if’s and but’s were candy...

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”2 Timothy 4:7–8I grew up in an athletic home. My dad was a very accomplished athlete and when...

“And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus.”Acts 4:36Most of us have heard of the Oscar’s or the Emmy’s or the Golden Globes but not too many people have heard of “The Barney’s”. The Barney’s are an award I named after Barnabas who we read about in the book of Acts and who was best known throughout the churc...

“So the men did as Joshua had commanded them. They took twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan River, one for each tribe, just as the LORD had told Joshua. They carried them to the place where they camped for the night and constructed the memorial there. Joshua also set up another pile of twelve stones in the middle of the Jordan, at the place where the priests who carried the Ark of the Cove...

“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, LORD. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,...

“But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”Romans 8:25Like many believers one of my favorite words in the Bible is the word “hope” and for good reason. Hope is empowering! Hope is what keeps us going like nothing else can. It’s been well said, “A man can go 6 weeks without food, 6 days without water, 6 minutes without oxygen, but he can’t go 6 ...