“So I Prayed to the God of Heaven”

Nehemiah was sad, and that was an occupational hazard. He was the scribe of the king, a king who could kill on whim. Anyone in service of the king was well advised to appear loyal, devoted, and sublimely joyful before the king — but Nehemiah was sad. Nehemiah must...

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...

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...

That Sure Is a Lot of Work

There is a scene in McFarland, USA when Kevin Costner had worked in the fields until all he could do was lay on the ground, moaning in misery. Some people see Christianity like that and ask, “Is it worth it?” In John 15:1-17, Jesus talks to His disciples...

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....

Their Hope of Gain was Gone

Money makes the world go ‘round. Might makes right. The ends justify the means. These statements have a semblance of wisdom and are confirmed by our historical bias. But are such sentiments really true? Is there something more important than money, power, or...

Such a small thing.

A tempest in a teapot. Making a mountain out of a molehill. All hat, no cattle. Never mind, the last doesn’t belong with the first two, but it is so easy to make a big deal about a minor point. In Acts 8:14-17, we read about when the Samaritan Christians received the...

The Forest and the trees

In high school, we read Leaf by Niggel by J.R.R Tolkien. I completely missed the point of the story. The main character focuses on painting perfect leaves rather than the forest. I thought Niggel’s missing the “big picture” was actually the “big picture” of...

Hallmark Cards

Why does Hallmark make cards? Somehow they seem to have the exact right words for different situations. What do you say to someone in the hospital? Send them a get-well card! What do you say to new grandparents-to-be? Send them a get-well card too! What do you say to...

Double-take

Sometimes we have to do a double-take. We miss it at first glance, and we have to look at it again to really see it. In John 17, we read Jesus’ prayer to the Father. In this single chapter, Jesus uses the word “world” 18 times! How important was the world to Jesus if...

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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