I spent a few days in a community that I lived in for over 8 years this past week. It was a reminder of the power of relationships. A place that is meaningful to me may not, in fact, be significant to someone else. The situation I am describing is metro Detroit. Say the word “Detroit,” and you will immediately elicit a reaction. Most people quickly recoil and say things…
Read MoreFriends For a Lifetime
Friends. They give life texture and meaning. Friends are the building blocks out of which we develop social awareness and empathy and discover relational boundaries. The meeting of people and the development of friendship is the oil for the machinery of life. Many of my closest friends I met through the church, school, and the neighborhood. College friendships have survived the passing of decades, and when I reconnect with them,…
Read MoreAre You A Good Friend?
What are the ingredients that go into making a good friend? Friendship is a two-way street. You and I need friends and you and I need to be a good friend. How does one identify a good friend, what are the characteristics that make a person a good friend? Let’s look at a few of these characteristics and attributes: Loyal. Our good friends are the ones who have remained steadfast…
Read MoreThe Folks You Meet Along The Way
The last two weeks have provided for me a wonderful opportunity to connect with longtime friends. Last week while attending a meeting in Kansas City I was able to sit in church and have lunch with my college roommate. He and I celebrate Birthdays that are two days apart. We have both promised to not tell tales on the other, not for altruistic reasons but for self-preservation. Dan was an…
Read MoreIn a world of change: Friends are Friends
Mrs. Blake and I are getting ready to move into a different district parsonage within the next month. We spent the entire day packing, taking some things to a storage unit and sending many things to a dumpster. Perhaps as a form of therapy, everyone should move periodically. Moving shows you what things you value. Going through one box today I saw 30 years of experiences pass before…
Read MorePain from a Friend!
Have you ever been hurt by someone? Yes, and if we are candid we have each hurt someone as well, either intentionally or unintentionally. Things go wrong from time to time. Sometimes the differences are over issues and at other times they could be nothing more than personality clashes. Conflict is a part of life. It would be impossible to not experience some conflict in life. As I was reading…
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…
Read MoreCelebration of Friendship
Friends. Do you have one or any? Sometimes we wonder if we have any friends. Another question is, are you a friend? I have preached from a passage of Scripture in Mark 2 in recent days. There was an individual who was paralyzed. We are told in the Bible that he had four friends. Someone decided enough was enough and that if the circumstances of this poor man was…
Read MoreIn Celebration of friends
Friends! For most of us it is a happy word. I remember when friends were the people you rode your bicycle with on your way to play a baseball game. A friend’s house became some of our first forays into the world outside of our home and family. Eating a meal at a friends table was the first place I got to practice the habits of manners that my grandma…
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