Down, but Not Out

We lose our job, or we are taken to court, or our character is assassinated by those we trusted most – there are so many ways others might make us feel down. When others hurt us, it is easy to feel down, but it is entirely our choice to feel out. In Acts 8:1-5, we see...

I’ll Sell You Two Surgical Masks for $200

Price-gouging means that someone offers little in exchange for much. It is not a new concept. Faithful Jews were coming to the temple to offer God worship. Unfaithful Jews were selling over-priced offerings of oxen, sheep, pigeons, and even official money with a...

But God Raised Him From the Dead

I remember my first office. No longer living in a cubicle, the trappings of the office were nice. It would have been easy to let it go to my head. The office didn’t exist as a reward but as a tool to do my job more effectively. The most important part was the job. The...

Just Because You Could

Just because you could doesn’t mean you should. I’m not sure who originally said it, but Jeff Goldblum comes pretty close in Jurassic Park. The scientists were so focused on making dinosaurs that they didn’t stop to consider if they should. (Spoiler: it didn’t work...

“Those Who Can Do. Those Who Can’t Teach”

My uncle said it. I am pretty sure he had never read George Bernard Shaw. Most of us who know the saying, believe it is a proverb— not something lifted out of a novel. The Bible, however, teaches us something different in Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had set his heart to...

Why would the directions say that?

Hopefully, baby cribs are easier to put together today than they once were. Overlooking a small detail, like a safety catch, could send the side of the crib crashing down on your toe. Then the answer to, “Why would the directions say that?” became painfully apparent....

Stand Up!

Why do we stand up? Sometimes the reason is simple. Perhaps we need to move, or the meal is over. But do we ever stand up for somebody? Grandpa walks into the room, and we stand up to give her a hug. Grandma gets to the restaurant late, and we stand up to greet her....

If You Can’t Be Honest With Yourself…

“If you can’t be honest with yourself, who can you be honest with?” The lab’s technical director had great one-liners. Maybe he got this one from somewhere, but I had not heard it before. The obvious answer is “no one,” but another valid answer is “God.” In Acts...

Cruel Indifference

It’s Christmas Day! What are you thinking about today? Hopefully, you spend time with family. Maybe you will have a good meal (or 5 or 6 with leftovers to spare…). Perhaps presents will be opened. Don’t forget to call your mom! Maybe cheer on your favorite team in...

That Dog Don’t Hunt

A general stood on stage, quoting an old first sergeant from Georgia, “That dog don’t hunt!” What he meant was that something didn’t make sense. What he really meant was, “Something happened, but it doesn’t make sense to me that it should have happened.” Generally,...

New Testament

God Has a Better Plan

God Has a Better Plan

Two thousand years ago, Elizabeth wanted children. In her culture, children were her priority. She didn’t have any, therefore others looked down on her. Her society wrote her off as too old to be a successful Jewish woman. She was too old to have children. She was...

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Greek Yogurt Is Terrible

Greek Yogurt Is Terrible

Johnny stood, mouth open in disgust. “It gets stuck between your teeth, is too tough to chew, and tastes like day-old Dr. Pepper. Greek yogurt is yucky!” He wrinkled his nose even thinking about it. Jen paused her spoon an inch from her open mouth. “Have you ever...

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Come and See!

Come and See!

Nurses just know. They’ve been there, done that. They say, “Just slap a bandaid on it and stop complainin’!” But that same gruff nurse who blows off our ouches and owies as an annoyance will soften like butter in the warm, Texas sun when confronted with a patient who...

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Old Testament

Change Is Tough

Change Is Tough

The Air Force provides a lot of training, very little of it on a volunteer basis. One of the trainings I took was in “Change Management.” It may have had a different, more military sounding name, something like “Non-linear Progression of Leadership Requirements” but I...

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The A-Team

The A-Team

When the Air Force stationed my dad overseas, the only real disadvantage of living “on the economy” was a lack of US TV programs. If you lived close enough to base, you could watch the Armed Forces Network, but we lived too far away. Somehow, one of the American...

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