Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” This past Christmas our children gifted Chip and me with theater tickets Continue Reading…
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Perks. Those extra benefits to a salary or position that makes one’s work sweeter. Perks can range from in-store discounts to college tuition reimbursement to onsite amenities like car washes, haircuts, Continue Reading…
John 11:25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” A long-time friend died in a horrendous car wreck this week. The last time I talked to him I had Continue Reading…
Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” For many of us, a new year denotes a new start, a new set of resolutions, some new goals. A cup of coffee and cookie after grading papers. Watching an Continue Reading…
Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Ka ching; Ka ching; Ka ching. I found myself depositing a lot of coins in my sad Continue Reading…
Ecclesiastes 1:2 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly Meaningless! Everything is meaningless.” Meaningless! Quite the assessment on life coming from a man who had it all. Solomon lacked for nothing. Wealth, position, wives (lots of them), legacy. The mention of his name was synonymous with wisdom. But in the end, none Continue Reading…
1 Corinthians 15:19 “If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.” Everyone needs hope. Those scarred by life’s hurts may try to resist it. But even the most hardened skeptic longs to have something to hope for. It’s the Continue Reading…
Colossians 3:2 “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” I believe Heaven is real, not because I’ve had a life-after-death experience or seen the movie that describes a child’s venture to the other side. I don’t think there was ever a time when I didn’t believe in Continue Reading…
Joel 2:25 “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten” “Dying is hard work,” a friend said to me as I stayed with my dad during his final days on earth. “It’s like childbirth, with its accompanying labor and transitory pain into a new world.” I saw Continue Reading…
Isaiah 65:17 “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind.” I just received news that the chronic illness of a longtime friend is nearing its end. Her husband, Ken, reports that although Nancy is Continue Reading…