The wilderness.  Scripturally speaking, the wilderness is a place we often seek to get through, rather than camp there.  Moses and the children of Israel wandered forty years there because they lacked the faith to enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:31). Hagar ended up there twice, once when escaping Sarai’s abuse and once when she…

Crrreak. SLAM! Did you see that? The door closed. All by itself.  It’s strangely quiet today. Quite a change from the racket of last week. Last week? Who am I kidding? The noise from Noah’s property has been going on for a hundred years now.  Well, we could use some peace and quiet around here.…

“Ahhh!” The fruit hit the ground with a juicy thud as Eve scrambled to cover up.  Adam stared at her and then at himself. “We’re naked!” “Hurry! Get the biggest leaves you can find.” Eve huddled behind the nearest myrrh bush as Adam darted through the trees of Eden. She winced as she backed into…

The leather thongs bit into his wrist. Lot stole a quick look from his one good eye, the other swollen shut from a soldier’s fist. His girls huddled near their mother, tears streaking their dust-covered faces. Warriors strutted by, stroking his daughters’ hair. They smirked at him, laughing as his lips bled from the anger…

I know. I’m late. Life blew up at the end of April, and the fallout has buried me. On the plus side, God is teaching me about faith. Here’s what I’m learning. 1. You either believe what God says—or not.  God either has sovereignty or not. My faith (or lack of it) will be reflected in…

When you pray, you don’t pray alone. I’ve been studying prayer and recently, God took me to Matthew 6, the Lord’s Prayer. “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, . . .’” Matthew 6:9 NIV For this first line, God gave me a picture of Jesus and the Holy Spirit on either…

Though wind power failed during our winter storm in February, Texans know March winds will more than make up for February’s failures. As a runner, I’m sensitive to the wind.  Sometimes I get the gentle nudge of a tailwind.  Sometimes the wind swirls and provides much needed cooling.  Sometimes it’s a wall, whose force humbles…

Work or teamwork? Which describes your spiritual walk? For years, the answer for me was work. Do this. Don’t do that.  Yes, I had a relationship with God, but my walk with Him looked a lot like me trying really hard to do what I thought He wanted.  I lived under law, not in grace.…

Sandpaper. Rough. Gritty. Scratchy. Applied willy-nilly, it scratches paint, mars plastic, and rips off the top layer of skin.  Correctly applied, it removes the rough spots leaving a smooth surface that’s ready for something new. Stain. Paint. A shiny coat of varnish. 2020 felt like sandpaper. Irritating. Annoying. Painful even.  I didn’t know I could…

It’s finals time. As my college student takes his finals, here’s a quiz to test your biblical Christmas knowledge: How did Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem?a. Chariotb. Covered wagonc. Donkeyd. No one knows. Jesus was born in:a. The Bethlehem Innb. A stablec. A caved. A manger The angels told the shepherds to look for:a.…