This greeting was written into the sand along St Pete Beach Florida. Sand is a good illustration of time and our lives here on earth. Though it is firm enough to write on, it is pliable enough to be washed away easily. Footprints in the sand can show where we have walked but the impression does not last forever, and in reality passes quite quickly. Having reflected on the past…
Read MoreThe Most Wonderful Time of The Year
How many times have we been told, and how many times have we heard the song? One ought to consider, is it just a slogan to help those of us who live in winter climates? Is the meaning regardless of what you think or feel, frostbite and hypothermia are valuable teachers? Once when complaining about winter weather, someone said “Pastor if you are going to live here you have to embrace winter.”…
Read MoreMountains and Valleys
I have spent part of this week surrounded by the mountains of West Virginia. Nearly every direction beauty abounds. Trees seem to grow in mid air as they go up the mountain and appear to reach into the clouds. For every mountain that I have viewed they were always followed by a valley. Valleys and mountains go together like Oreos and milk. One just seems to call for the other. As…
Read MoreThe Love of God and the Steadfastness of Christ..
This year I am once again reading through the Bible. Today’s New Testament passage was taken from 2 Thessalonians 3:5 “May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.” (ESV) Paul reminds the church that we need the Lord to direct our hearts. As Paul refers to the heart, he is not speaking of the blood pumping muscle in our chests, but…
Read MoreRemembering our friend John Bouldrey
One of the things I do with some degree a regularity is attend and participate in funeral/memorial services. Having participated in over 200 and attended several others, you could say I have spent a lot of time in somber places. Tomorrow I will be a participant in the memorial service of a pastor colleague. His name was John Bouldrey, he was from Ohio and went to Olivet Nazarene University, he pastored…
Read MoreYou can find yourself in some strange places.
Susanne and I are spending the better part of this week at the Pfister hotel in Milwaukee for the District Superintendents leadership conference. This leadership development conference is for D.S.’s in Canada and the United States. There will be 70 of us and our spouses as well as resource people from our denomination, and special speakers and guests as well. Two things stuck me as we prepared to make the…
Read MoreWhen God Brings the World to us!
I had the honor today to preach for two of our congregations. I visited our South Side Church in Indy. This congregation has been established for years. We had a great service, heart felt singing and a great choir special added to the sense of God’s presence in our midst. I was greatly encouraged by this service. God is helping South Side Church. Pastor McCrary and his congregation decided…
Read Morean accidental encounter on purpose
Today, I had a window of opportunity and I took advantage of it. I needed to get a walk in and I had to pay attention to time. There were a couple of loose ends to tie up at the office. A lunch meeting at a local restaurant, as well as trip to a funeral home in the late afternoon. A walk in the country around where I live seemed doable.…
Read MoreThe power of a Decision
I made a decision during my senior year of high school back in 1973/74 that would change nearly everything in my life. I decided that the Lord wanted me to attend Olivet Nazarene College, now University. I was challenged by a few folks as to why, after all they reasoned you are not going to be a pastor. I went to ONU as an education/history major. Forty One years…
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