Introduction In 1982, I had been serving for two years as the church planter and founding pastor of a church in a small but growing suburb in Texas. The members and attenders had moved to the area from several different states. Their cultures and religious backgrounds were varied but their desire for community had brought them to our church. We had just moved into our first permanent building and Christmas was only a few weeks away. Was there a way that through understand

This week many families will gather to celebrate Thanksgiving. From the harvest feast in 1621 shared by the English colonists and the Wampanoag people to Abraham Lincoln declaring Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday to 2025, the celebration of Thanksgiving has gone through many variations. In many gatherings, the practice of giving thanks will be overshadowed by football and food. In other gatherings, some families will take the cue of the day to share their thankfuln

Growing up I watched Rin Tin Tin and Lassie . While each show featured a dog, a boy, and some adults, the star of each episode was the dog - Rinty (a nickname) and Lassie were always there to save the day. Rinty protected Rusty in the old west while they both lived at Fort Apache. Lassie always knew when Timmy had fallen into a well and needed help. Well, those two television programs are no longer being shown. Instead, to understand dogs and people better I watch all th

November 11 is Veteran's Day in our nation. It is a time to specifically recognize and give thanks to those men and women who have served in our military. Veteran's Day was named in 1954 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. This date had originally been named Armistice Day at the conclusion of World War I. The armistice between the Allies and Germany was officially signed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. My maternal grandfather was a veteran of WW

This weekend was the conclusion of another round of Daylight Saving Time. I am not sure where the time was saved because I am still behind on several projects. I was told that this time change enabled me to regain the hour of sleep I lost in the spring. However, I know that I have lost more than one hour's sleep over the last month and a lot more since last spring. Just last week I lost several hours watching the 18 inning World Series baseball game - when do I get those

Having lived most of my life in Texas, preparation for winter was not a major endeavor. But life in Colorado is considerably different. Our lawn sprinkler system was shut down and the lines blown out about two weeks ago. Hoses have all been disconnected from the hose bibs so that inside pipes won't possibly break. Our furnace has been serviced and is working well. The bears in Colorado are foraging for food up to 20 hours per day seeking 20,000 calories per day to add 60

Have you ever considered what your life would be like if God answered every prayer you prayed with a positive response? You and I often pray with little thought to the full consequences of a positive answer. We do not know what tomorrow holds much less a few weeks, months, or years in the future. As a teenager, I heard a sermon on prayer. Our preacher said that God answers prayer as "Yes," "No," or "Not Yet." He went on to say that a "Yes" answer may come with some revisi

(Almost two years ago, I started this blog with a working title of "Less Traveled" based on two sources - Robert Frost's poem "The Road...

Country singer Mac Davis from Lubbock, Texas, wrote and recorded "It Is Hard to Be Humble." In 1980, this song became an international...

There is an old joke about a pastor asking children a question during a Children's Sermon one Sunday morning. He asked if any of the...

I enjoy reading many types of literature. When reading a mystery, I am often caught off guard with the turn of a page. Something that I...

THERE WAS A TIME when words kept violence at bay, when words were spoken in truth, when words were the value of a man, when words brought...

When the word rest is spoken, most of us immediately think of a good night's sleep or a nap. Physical rest is a very important part of...

September 1st begins Autumn if you go by the meteorological definition of seasons based on temperature cycles. If you prefer the...

The human smile is a result of a combination of several factors. A smile can start because of a thought (neurological), a social...

Some surveys today proclaim that religion is either declining or close to extinction. My opinion is just the opposite. I believe that...

Last week I wrote about pastors that have made a difference in my life. With a new school year already started in some places and about...

Yesterday, our church in Colorado Springs, Vista Grande Baptist Church, called a new senior pastor. Joshua York is now the latest in a...

There are countless areas of life that we are constantly measuring to determine if we are making progress. Parents make a pencil mark on...

We live in a neighborhood in a fairly large city. Our neighborhood has a diverse mix of people, houses, cars, and dogs. One unusual...