Last week I introduced this series of articles under the theme of Breaking the Addiction of Tradition. The basic focus is to see how man has often taken God's truths, altered them in some way, resulting in a tradition that no longer embodies God's truth. This week I want to take a step or two back into our calendar and consider once more the birth of Jesus. For many years I have been taught that God has a plan for your life. Likewise, parents, friends, and even ourselves

Truth has the potential to be replaced by a tradition that seems similar but is really far from the truth. We have just gone through a season of holidays that are filled with family traditions such as menu items and decorations. My focus is not on whether a family has turkey or ham for Thanksgiving or Christmas - that is a family preference (I am still very partial to my grandmother's recipe for dressing with the turkey on Thanksgiving). Rather, for the next several weeks I

Only a few days remain in our calendar year 2025. Of course, with the ending of one calendar year, a New Year (2026) will begin the next day. These days of transition are when we tend to evaluate the condition of our lives and lay plans for how we are going to improve in the next year. The term "New Year's Resolutions" becomes a catch phrase during these days. There are two aspects to "New Year's Resolutions." The first aspect is to try and remember the resolutions we made

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are traditionally filled with decorations, gifts, food, and family. The eyes of children sparkle while parents watch and enjoy their children's responses. There is nothing wrong with any of these traditions. However, I just want to remind all of us that first and foremost, Christmas is about celebrating and worshiping Jesus on the day designated to remember His birth and coming into our world as the promised Christ. Before Christmas Day end

If you have read the last two weekly posts of mine, you have some background in understanding Advent. It simply means the arrival or coming. In terms of Christmas we are considering the arrival of Jesus as the Christ or the Messiah. The first week focused on the PROPHETS who foretold the coming of the Messiah and emphasized HOPE. The second week focused on BETHLEHEM, the place of Jesus' birth, and emphasized LOVE. Today, we look at the third focus which is upon the SHEPH

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 understanding the true

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

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

(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...

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...

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...