Posts from June 2019

1st Corinthians 8:9……Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. (NIV) We are living in a polarized and confrontational world. It seems that many are intent on making their views known and their practices a statement of their enlightened choices. I don’t have a Facebook account but I do look over my spouse’s shoulders as she catches up on the happenings of the day or week. It seems there are…

Kent Russ sent me this quote from a church in France which is contained on signs inside a number of sanctuaries in that European country. It reads: It is possible that on entering this church you may hear a call from God. On the other hand, it is highly unlikely that he will contact you by phone. Thank you for turning off your telephone. I love the optimistic and expectant attitude of this sarcastic public statement. I appreciate the recognition…

Proverbs 12:25….An anxious heart weighs a man down, but a kind word cheers him up. (NIV) The hospital can be a rather stressful place and many of the people there are somewhat anxious, obviously. So when Janet McSwain and I visited a couple of hospitals in Charlotte a few weeks ago, we knew our purpose – to offer encouragement and prayers for our confined friends. As we left Carolinas Medical, we were waiting on a very slow elevator and you…

I was just thinking about lessons learned by accident – little bits of information gathered while in pursuit of something else or in the process of making messes in my personal relationships, professional endeavors, and spiritual/theological decisions. I learned late in life to be cautious when you eat birthday cake after 20 toddlers have assisted the birthday victim in blowing out the candles. I gained this insight at one of my own toddler’s birthday parties about 30 years ago. The…