45 years ago on Sunday, I asked my then girl friend to be my wife, while we were traveling to a special lunch! As we were eating, just before I had my pecan pie, she said, “Yes!” That was one of the most exiting days of my life. I wanted to tell anyone and everyone I could. To this day, I continue to remain grateful for this relationship that we enjoy. As I think back on that day, I am reminded of another very special relationship that that was established by the Lord about 48 years ago . . . my adoption into the family of God! The external act of worship is a true measure of the heart of the believer. If we are unwilling to share with others what God has done for us, we do not bring honor to him in our speech or our lives. Praise is a natural outgrowth of our gratitude for what the Lord has done, and continues to do in our lives. Do we take time to reflect on His goodness, and grace in our lives? May we praise acknowledge Him for how He is moving in our lives, may we have … READ MORE

In June of 2014 my wife and I were about to begin the process of doing a major remodeling of a house we purchased. The first stage of that remodeling was to remove the trusses of our 3 bedroom bungalow, to turn it into a two-story Cape Cod style house. The day’s work was complete and we were approaching evening, but they were calling for rain. We covered the exposed walls with plastic and waited for the rain to pass. It did, but it dumped 7 inches of rain in about 10 hours, after attempting for 4 hours to drain pockets of water in the plastic the water burst through sending gallons of water through the floors and destroying the finished basement, which we were planning on living in as we finished the upper floors. I remember going into the basement after we gave up hope of protecting the house from the rains, and with the ceiling tile falling on the floor, the insulation hanging from the floor joists, and sparks coming from the hot water heater as it burned out. I remember says, “We have lost everything!” We gave up as the rains came down and knew that there … READ MORE

Matthew 12:36-37 is a great verse to keep in mind as we prepare to open our mouth. Words are powerful gifts and weapons! The same mouth that can build up and encourage another, can rip someone apart. Words often stay with us for years, as we work mentally to overcome the insensitive words that someone has shared with us. Our inward outlook of who we are, are often shaped by what others say to us. We need to remember and understand that we will eventually give account for the things we say and how we impact those around us. There is a good reason that James tells us in 1:19-20, “… let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” We need to learn to think before we speak. Is what I have to say necessary, is it spoken in love, is it designed to build up? Learn to evaluate your words before you let them escape your mouth. … READ MORE