Divine intervention. I’ve seen it countless times.  A kid stops short, right before he face-plants into a saguaro cactus.  An interview, one the college senior hadn’t planned on keeping, led to her dream job.  Specific guidance was given for prayer regarding a son going through (and successfully completing) Navy SEAL training.  Three unexpected years of…

Christmas. The season of lights and a season where my light easily dims. My workload for December is proving intense, and that’s just work. The pressures of the season are enough to snuff out the brightest of lights. My friend Pam quipped that men believe in Santa because they woke up Christmas morning and everything…

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Matthew 2:10 NIV I love Matthew’s account of the Magi (please note they were not at the stable), but I’ve always found joy rather elusive.  It plays hide and seek with me. Ever feel that way? Could it be that joy was right there and I hadn’t…

My friend, Pam, always said that men believed in Santa Claus because when they woke up Christmas morning, everything had already been done. They neglected to see the behind-the-scenes work: baking, cleaning, shopping, etc. Know the feeling? Joy bursts from the Christmas story like fireworks on the Fourth of July. When we still had kids…

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.…

Something in the human heart desperately wants to believe.  We started watching Christmas movies as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers hit the fridge. Miracle on 34th Street has long been one of our favorites.  I don’t analyze every movie we watch, but this year, things just jumped out at me. Miracle on 34th Street centers on the tension…

Son of David. A loaded phrase in Scripture. It came with ties to royalty, future promises of the Messiah, and an eternal kingdom. Consequently, genealogical records were carefully recorded. Genealogies typically read from father to son as seen in Matthew 1:1-17. However, in Matthew 1:20, when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream, the…

I’m big on names.  In biblical culture, name often represented character. Think of how many times you speak a child’s name over them. How could that not influence a child? With that in mind, I chose the names of our children carefully:  Benjamin (son of the right hand) Russell (his father’s name)  Richard (ruler, leader,…

It’s Advent time. Christmas trees primp and preen as they don their seasonal finery. Mistletoe dangles from the ceiling. Candles and poinsettias elbow one another for the most prominent display spot. Our homes glitter, glow, and gleam as we celebrate the Light of the world.  I love to spend time reflecting over the Christmas accounts…

Merry Christmas! Instead of the normal blog post, I wrote a Christmas story for your reading pleasure. Biblical scholars believe that, at the time of Jesus’ birth, caves or the lower level of a house often served as stables. I wrote this story from the innkeeper’s perspective of Luke 2. I hope you enjoy it!…