It was one of those moments, being a gospel pianist, that I forgot the music and watched the song leader. Of course, that’s what you are supposed to do, but with this song, at this time, with a church full of singers, the song leader was taking his liberty to lead. It was an old …
Music. When I was four years old, I came home from my aunt and uncle’s wedding and played “Here Comes the Bride” on the piano by ear. My parents put me in music lessons. That was my introduction to music. We were a musical family. All six of us kids knew music, and I …
Matthew introduces us to a part of life that we feel and experience probably daily. What is the integrity of our words? Do they matter, or perhaps more importantly, do people take what we say with a grain of salt, or know we are good for our word? Matthew 21:28-32 “What do you think? There …
Mathew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then, in his joy, went and sold all he had and bought that field. “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went …
My uncle was a storyteller. I remember after a holiday dinner, we would sit at his feet in the living room while he told war stories. Years later, in the book Spearhead, my uncle’s stories came to life as the Sherman tank and the crew, including Clarence the gunner, led the fight for Cologne, and …
Goodness: the 6th of the lineup of Fruits of the Spirit. I like good. Good food, good friends, good times, and a good cold drink of lemonade on a hot summer day. Western culture, perhaps, tends to look at good just as it is defined: something that is to be desired. It pleases us and …
I don’t remember when I first heard the song, Self Control. “Self-control is just controlling myself. It’s listening to my heart and doing what is smart. Self-control is the very best way to go, So I think that I’ll control myself.” That was a popular song from the Music Machine back in the 70s. The …
When I was a kid, they called them testimonies. Often, they were someone who had gone through a significant dip in the road, got full of mud, and Jesus cleaned them up. I grew up in a Christian home. There were no big dips and not a lot of mud because of the Christian culture …
I love beginnings. Perhaps the excitement of what’s ahead draws me to beginnings. What lies ahead renews hope, excites my passion, and leads me to believe this “fresh beginning” will be better than where I have been. The Bible has many stories that remind us of fresh beginnings. Abraham left the familiar and headed for …
It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s a quiet morning. For many years, quiet and Christmas didn’t go together. We are in a different season now: it’s quiet, which gives me time to ponder. When the kids were young, there were programs and adventures. We never emphasized getting at Christmas time; we focused more on the giving. …