Today is filled with mixed emotions. I have the honor and the challenge of performing the funeral service tonight of a very good friend of mine, Chris Gainer. When he and Valerie got married almost 20 years ago, I was the guy performing the ceremony. Bonnie and I have walked them through so many different [...]

I think the most beautiful and compassionate people are those who have known defeat, they have experienced suffering, they have felt the pain of loss, and have fought their way out of the depths of struggle, difficulty, pain, and despair. These people have an appreciation for life, who don’t need a lot of stuff or [...]

What’s in your garden? For those of you who are part time farmers, it will soon be time to get in your gardens and play in the dirt. I am not a big garden guy. Don’t get me wrong, I love to play in the dirt, I just think it should be more than 100 [...]

My son preached yesterday at the celebration I attended. He spoke on perseverance and the need to stay in the fight. It was a great message and encouragement to me to see him proclaiming the Word of the Lord for “The Fireplace”, which is the church we attend when I am not on the road. [...]

Someone tweeted recently, “The faithful see the invisible, believe the incredible, and receive the impossible”. Many times in the midst of our circumstances we forget about the “God Factor”. The part that we cannot see, the part the defies natural reasoning, the part that makes the impossible possible and in the midst of the challenge [...]

Is there anything left over? Gather it all up so that nothing is wasted. That was the question and command Jesus gave the disciples in John 6 after He fed five thousand with five loaves of bread and two small fish. Was it really the stewardship of food that Jesus was concerned about. Eat everything [...]

It was said that if you break an egg from the outside the chick will not survive, or life will end for the bird. But if you allow the bird to break out from the inside, new life begins. There is something to be said about struggling that strengthens us, even struggles within. Struggles strengthen [...]

Is your life exciting or are you bored? Someone mentioned recently that their definition of boredom is taking the path of least resistance. The path of least resistance rarely leads us to the excitement and fulfilling life that the Lord calls us into when we make Him Lord of our lives. His call is one [...]

We celebrated my Mother and Father’s 68th wedding anniversary yesterday. They were married in 1945. Dad said, “I thank the Lord everyday as we don’t have any family or friends even close to our age where both spouses are living. We are truly blessed.” I think it is safe to say that they have passed [...]

What did you get for Christmas? This has been a familiar question that has gone through the ranks the past two weeks since we celebrated this world holiday. Since we know from scripture that it is better to give than to receive, I changed up the question this year from, “What did you get for [...]