Election Time

Debbie and I voted Monday. That is not to brag, it is simply a fact. Like many Americans, we stood in line and cast our ballots as we have done in every election since we became eligible to vote. We vote every year, not just during Presidential elections. We take our civic duty seriously and we vote every year even when the choices are not “major” or even many. We vote because it is a right and a privilege in our nation that many just take for granted. Do ou...

A Preacher, A Bible, and A Bullet

Henry Weston Smith is not a name you probably recognize. If you Google him, you will only find about 4 lines of information. Yet he was one of the heroes of early Methodism. Rev. Smith (1827-1876) was born in Connecticut and would die near Deadwood, South Dakota about 2 months after Custer’s Last Stand. He was licensed to preach at the age of 23 and ordained into the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. During the Civil War, he served in the 52nd...

Does God Hate Punsters?

One of my favorite comic strips over the years has been “B.C.” by Johnny Hart. It often has a humorous religious theme. I have a book of “B.C.” comic stripes and occasionally I pull it down just to have a chuckle. Recently I reread a comic strip in the book whose main characters were the ants that Hart sometimes features. In this particular comic, the young ant whose name is “Johnny”, was in school and the teacher asked the question, ...

The Worst Day and The Best Day Were The Same Day

My Dad died 23 years ago today. In some ways it seems like yesterday, in other ways it seems so long ago. October 15th, 1997 turned into a defining moment in my life and my faith journey. My Dad and I were very close. While growing up this had been the man who had taught me how to fish, and how to play baseball, basketball, and football. This was the man who had taken me down to his woodshop and helped me to learn how to safely use a jigsaw, a shop smith, a b...

Little Boys, Big Troubles, & God's Miracles

We had just moved to a new appointment. I would be serving my second church. I was only 31 and at this time we only had 2 or our eventual 4 boys. Richie was 4 and Robbie was 1 ½. Debbie had gone to a meeting and so I was in charge of Richie and Robbie (Big mistake #1 – I’m still a young Dad figuring out how to handle these mini –me’s!).  Since my office still needed to be unpacked, I decided to take the boys with me to church so I cou...

Prayer, Thunder, & the Word 'No'

One of my favorite “prayer stories” is the one about a grandmother who was helping her granddaughter say bed-time prayers one night. The little girl turned to her Grandmother and asked if there was anything that she wanted for her to pray about. The grandmother said, “We need some rain”. The little girl bowed her head as did her grandmother. After praying for a couple of minutes, Grandma felt a little nudge in her side. She looked up and her gran...

Voting, Choices, & Decisions

This coming Thursday, October 15th, the process of “early voting” begins. You may have already mailed in a ballot but if not, the election process begins this week that will end on November 3rd with election day. NOW RELAX! This devotion is not going to take a political stand, it’s not going to tell you who to vote for, but it is going to raise an interesting question and issue.

Years ago, during a different Pre...

Break Ups, Second Chances, and Love

It might surprise many of you to know that I broke up with Debbie while we were dating. Since we have been married now for 49 years and dated 5 years before that, you may not think that ever happened. But it did. I broke up with her because while I was gone for a while one summer during our dating time, I had told her she could date anyone she chose EXCEPT DAVID (her old boyfriend).  When I got back, I found out that the only date she had was with David. Instead of...

S.O.P.

Anyone with a military background, a business background or even a scouting background will recognize the above initials. S.O.P. stands for Standard Operating Procedures. Did you know Christ’s church has a S.O.P.?  Maybe the best way to explain that is to share an event that happens at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. everyday. Like many of you I have had the solemn and honored privilege to see the Tomb of the...

Bless Be The Tie That Binds

I wonder if any of us ever realize the impact we have in the world even when we are not rich, famous, or “powerful”? Perhaps parents have an idea. Hopefully teachers, scout leaders, youth leaders all have an idea, but no matter what your profession or position in the world you can have an impact that affects not just one life, but many. Your name may never be famous but what you say, do, and how you live can affect a wide circle of people. For instance, rece...

Oh My, Oh Wow, Obit

Have you ever wondered what your obituary might look like? A gentleman in 1888 by the name of Alfred Noble got to find that out when he awoke one morning and got to read his own obituary in the local newspaper! He woke up to find that he had died! Of course, he had not; it was the result of a simple journalistic error. Mr. Noble’s brother had died and a careless reporter had written an obituary about the wrong brother. But because Mr. Noble was a fairly famous and...

Precious Memories

One of my favorite old gospel songs is “Precious Memories”. Written in 1925, the first two verses go like this:

                                    “Precious memories, unseen angels,

                                     Sent from somewhere t...

Waiting, Watching, & Wondering

Recently, I preached a sermon called “In the Still of the Night”. My high school classmates and people of my generation (and before), will recognize that title from a very popular song in the late 50’s by “The Five Satins”. I based my sermon on the Story of Samuel and God calling Samuel as a young child. The story is found in I Samuel 3:1-19. The story begins with the words “The word of the Lord was rare in th...

Bible Quiz Conclusion

I did not watch the Presidential debate Tuesday night. From the comments I saw on social media from my friends on both the left and the right, I am glad I did not. With that in mind I decided that we needed one more day of some Biblical humor. So here is the conclusion of a series of funny questions and answers based on the Bible. I hope you enjoy these final Q & A’s! 

Q: The ark was built in 3 stories and the top story had a window to ...

The Day After

I am writing this devotional the day BEFORE the first Presidential debate to have it printed the DAY AFTER that first debate. I am doing this for 2 reasons. (1) Since I am writing this before the debate takes place and I have no way of knowing how it went, etc. no one can get upset with me for supporting one candidate over another. (2) I figure after all the news clips, opinions, discussions, arguments, etc. that will occur about the results of this debate EVERYONE woul...