When I make an introduction, I usually preface it with my relationship to each party. I know Lisa from dance and Anne from lacrosse. Jesus does the same thing. When the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray, He introduces the Twelve to the first person of the Trinity with the term “Father.” Jesus…

Are you looking for this new year to be better than the last one? Less may be more. “He [Jesus] must become greater; I [John the Baptist] must become less.” (John 3:30 NIV) If you charted your life—finances, work, family, faith—what percentage of your life reflects the lordship of Jesus? Does He impact your finances,…

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him. He walks everywhere incognito.” C. S. Lewis “Incognito,” according to Merriam-Webster, means “with your true identity kept secret; with one’s identity fully concealed.” I love C.S. Lewis, but I have a bone to pick with the quote…

Lacey. Ten pounds of golden fur—soon to be sixty. We had an older retriever too, Luke, my constant companion and running partner. Soon Lacey was big enough to join us. And here the problems began. I had a wonderful tool that links two dog collars permitting me to have only one leash. At this point,…

Receiving has never been a stretch for our kids. They’ve always been more than willing to eat our food, use our hot water, and spend our money. Content to dump dirty laundry downstairs, they know they’ll find it clean and folded when they return. Filling their gas tank can make their day and if we…

The tune in my head was not one I chose. My radio had been hijacked by my teenager. What I was soon to learn was that my mind had been hijacked as well. And it affected my focus. It began as I chauffeured my teen to strength and conditioning camp this summer. Normally, I listen…

Psalms. The Hebrew songbook. David wrote many, and we love the twenty-third psalm. But have you read Psalm 2 lately? Gee whiz. A top forty tune, this isn’t. If you ever wanted a perspective of the sovereignty of God and the world at large, take a look. Psalm 2 Why do the nations conspire and…

How are you at understanding God? What comes to mind when you hear these words? Rules. Commands. Laws. Restrictions? Limits? Or Safety. Freedom. I watch my teenager as we hash out rules, boundaries, and expectations. He sees prison bars. “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and…

6:00 a.m. (Yes. a.m.) I’m fumbling with the pool equipment. It’s swim lesson time, and I’m firing up the heater. Little kids don’t do well in cold water, so I warm it up—even in July. Funny how the weather affects the perception of the water temperature. If the day is Texas triple-digit hot, the water…