Winter temperatures have begun early this year in Alabama. My wife and I leave home rather early in the morning, so a few mornings ago I got up and cranked my wife’s car and my truck so they could warm before leaving. I went back in and finished my devotion time and my coffee, told […]

Most people could not wait until they became adults so they would not have to listen to people telling them what to do. They have lived their who childhood being told what to do and what not to do. They just could not wait to start making decisions on their own. THEN, when the years […]

When I was a young boy, mother and dad would leave four boys chores to do during the day. They were to be completed before they arrived back home. Some days we would do the chores first thing and then have the rest of the day for personal choices. Other days we would wait until […]

I am often asked the question, “What do you think about ___?” When was the last time someone asked your opinion on something? The question is often asked just so they can open the door to share their opinion, but, it is a question that we answer more often than we think. When is the […]

There was a popular bracelet worn a short time ago that WWJD on it. The letters stood for WHAT WOULD JESUS DO and many displayed them on their arms. If you ask people if they are Christians, many will respond with where they attend church and what their beliefs are. Being a Christian goes far […]

We all are searching for the perfect gift to give special people in your life for Christmas. Some of those are not easy to find. Have you thought the perfect gift to give yourself this year? My devotion this morning talked about a gift that would allow you to have the best Christmas ever this […]

What do you focus on? I hear a lot of people who focus on the bad, their failures, the things they don’t do well, and other weaknesses. I am amazed how often, after playing a round of golf, we only focus on the things we do poorly. We seldom talk about all the good things […]

When is the last time that you have been angry? Several things in our daily routine can stir up our feelings of anger. Traffic jams and road rage, bad call in a ball game or players and coaches making decisions you don’t agree with, children who won’t get out of bed and cause you to […]

When family or friends call me on my cell phone, they usually begin the conversation with questions like, “where are you? how are you doing? or what are you to? I usually reply with one of these answers, I’m where I’m supposed to be, where are you?, or, I’m doing what I need to be […]

My devotion this morning came from John 14 where the account of Jesus walking on the water is recorded. As I read these verses, one thing stood out to me. Peter was the only one of the twelve who asked Jesus to allow him to come to him on the water. All twelve witnessed the […]

December is here. Christmas is near. We celebrate God’s perfect gift to us and it’s that time of year again when we begin to pick out gifts for people in our lives. On whatever day you choose, you will exchange those gifts. I admit, I have never been a good receiver of gifts. When I […]

How often do we find ourselves comparing what we do with what others are able to do? As a young minister, I often found myself comparing my preaching to that of other preachers. I compared the way I pastor to the way other pastors handled things. As a golfer, I often compare my game to […]

In my school days, the teacher in a class would call roll every day to see who is present and who is absent. When you name was called you simply answered “here.” The response meant I was there again today to further my education. I wanted to learn more than I already knew. There may […]

My devotion this morning in 2 Kings talked about a group of people that were titled “slingers.” They were people who defeated their enemies by slinging rock and dirt into the wells and contaminating their life source of water. When the water was gone, they could overtake the enemy with little fight. We know people […]

Every day we have things attempting to take up our time. Family, church, work, children’s activities, hobbies, community activities, holidays, and places we volunteer all want a piece of the pie. How do you determine where and when to do which of these activities? How do you determine what is important to you? How do […]

I read a story this morning of a man who was offered a promotion that included a big pay raise and a rise in prestige with his company. The man turned the position down. Although he had a house to pay for, children to raise, and could have used the extra money, he said no […]

We often hear and use an expression to express appreciation for a good deed someone does for us. The phrase is “God Bless You.” I have used it often as a parting word when leaving a person or group of people. The phrase “God bless you” means “good word.” We are expressing the fact that […]

There is a new technology being used in several sporting events these days, it is called instant replay. The officials can go back and look at the previous play if there is any doubt on its outcome. I guess doubt is a part of everything in life these days. When is the last time you’ve […]

Blaming others or other things for things in our lives is easy, but, it is not accurate. We often think we are stressed because we are overwhelmed on the job, or by relationships that are straining us, or by health issues we are battling with. Stress is not an outside issue, stress comes from within. […]

[image: image.png] I am not sure very many people can identify with what Job faced in his walk with God. God only knew how strong Job’s faith was and did not allow him to face anything he was not strong enough to handle through his faith in God. What faith Job had! He lost his […]

[image: image.png] I have been reading various Thanksgiving memories this morning and I came across one that was funny. A pastor invited a young couple to his home for Thanksgiving dinner. The couple sat down at the table to find turkey, dressing, all the trimmings and desert. However, in the middle of the traditional fixings […]

[image: image.png] You all know what it is to give away something you no longer need around your house. Many times we hand it down to other family members and often we will take it a charity thrift store. Very seldom would you ever give away something that you need or still used. The things […]

[image: image.png] I hear one four-letter word used quite often in conversations today. The word is not what you are thinking, the four letter word is hate. I heard a person say yesterday that he “hated” it when leaves begin to fall. I hear people say they hate driving certain roads and cities because of […]

[image: image.png] Nothing changes your life like an attitude of gratitude. Gratitude is the world’s healthiest human emotion. Gratitude actually increases your immunity to sickness. Have you noticed that most ungrateful people are also unhappy people? Ungrateful people are hard to please, they never have enough, and little if anything satisfies them. Showing gratitude is […]

[image: image.png] How many times do you remember your parents telling you that you were going to be okay? It may have been after you struck out your last bat in a little league game, fumbled the ball in an important football game, made a foolish mistake driving the automobile, or maybe as small as […]