If we only pray when we have a “want” or a “need” we approach God’s throne as spoiled children. Many times, I fall short in thanking God for the many blessings He has given. Recently, I saw this prayer in a devotional: “Thank you for accepting me as I am but not leaving me the […]
Have you ever wanted to position yourself in a social setting in order to gain more influence, recognition or power? Perhaps we have all been in that situation a few times in our life. Jesus has much to say about this: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of […]
Most of us, at times, struggle with the depth of our prayers and whether we are even worthy to pray…and even how often we should pray. Max Lucado says this about prayer: “If prayer depends on how I pray, I’m sunk. But if prayer depends on the One who hears the prayers…then I have hope.” […]
Some baseball historians say that Satchel Paige is the greatest pitcher in the history of the game. Unfortunately, he wasn’t allowed to play Major League Baseball until he was 42! “Satch” had a quick wit and possessed a lot of wisdom. He once asked the rhetorical question, “How old would you be if you didn’t […]
I have spending some time with a good friend who is in Hospice Care. He spends a lot of time alone in his room in a nursing home. Last week he asked me, “Keith, you know I think about when I’m alone here in this bed…What will heaven be like?” C.S. Lewis once said, “There […]
We live in an era of having many “friends,” but few real friendships. In reality, we may have many Facebook “friends” or Twitter followers, but very few, if any, real people that lead to real, meaningful conversations. There’s nothing more important than our relationship with God, family and friends. If you have unwittingly outgrown having […]
This morning, I find myself missing my two sons. They are in their thirties now and have their own families, careers, travel schedules, social events and other activities that demand their time and energy. We get together with them as often as we can, and it’s a blessing they both live close enough for us […]
“Is there one decision you could make today that’ll make tomorrow better?” “Is there one change you could make today that’ll make tomorrow better?” Zig Ziglar A commandment from the Lord to Joshua: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God […]
C.S. Lewis once said, “In our own cases we accept excuses too easily; in other people’s, we don’t accept them easily enough.” This quote reminds me of what Jesus said: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” (Luke […]
How do we react when we develop a plan, work the plan, but our plan doesn’t go as planned? A few answers come to mind…anger, discouragement, bitterness, disappointment, for sure. Usually, after experiencing these emotions, my best course of action is to surrender these emotions, and my failed plan, to God with an open mind, […]