Deuteronomy 24 has some good advice. That thing about staying home for a year after you are married? I like that. I wonder if that could be retroactive so that, after 40 years, I could take a year off from work and tell the boss, “I didn’t get my wedding bliss year way back then,… Continue Reading
Digging Out of Conflict
Okay, chapter 23 did me in. You are so complementary about my ability to find a story in these obscure Biblical passages, but I just can’t. Doo-doo-ronomy 23 (I had to go there, didn’t I?) takes us someplace that I cannot possibly make a devotional from. Nope. I got nuthin’. Let’s try II Corinthians 7… Continue Reading
God 2.0
If you have been following along since the beginning of the year, you know that we have been reading one chapter in Deuteronomy, Proverbs, and Corinthians each day. I called it “History Lessons” and we have been trying to find little applications each day from the scripture reading, especially the ancient story of the Jews… Continue Reading
Safe Place
I have been thinking about safe places lately. We have had some unusually cold, and icy, weather in Middle Tennessee. There are a number of news stories about caring for the homeless, bringing your pets inside, and one that I watch with great interest, taking care of the elderly during this cold snap. I mean,… Continue Reading
Happy Birthday Jon-Mical
Today is Jon-Mical’s birthday. He is 10 today. He is named after his father, Joshua Jon-Mical, who was named after Doris’s brother John and me, Michael, Jon-Mical. Jon-Mical doesn’t have a middle name. He just has the one, hyphenated Jon-Mical. Just like I don’t have a middle name. I just have the one, not hyphenated… Continue Reading
The Power of Praise
This is a message that was “snowed out” on 1/17/18 in Phenix City, AL. I will post a video of the FaceBook Live feed as well. We have been talking about this battle that rages within us, the battle for the mind. We are made, as Paul says in I Thessalonians 5:23, of spirit, (the… Continue Reading
SNOW DAY
We interrupt this regularly scheduled study of Deuteronomy to bring you this news flash, IT IS SNOWING IN PHENIX CITY, AL. We are experiencing an all out blizzard. It is coming down in…well, in flakes. The table tops are covered. The sidewalks have a dusting. The city looks to be shut down. It is expected… Continue Reading
Symbols, Signs, and Asherah Poles
I was in the 4th grade and we had moved again to a new school in Indiana. It was a rainy, winter day and we did PE indoors. The gym teacher said we were to pick teams and play kickball. Now. I don’t know if you’ve ever been in the “pick teams” scenario, but it… Continue Reading
Deuteronomy 15, Drug Court, and MLK
I spoke last week for the graduation ceremony of the Williamson County Drug Court. This is an innovative program, 15 years old now, that is spreading across the country. Repeat drug offenders are given a chance to attend a 2 year, rigorous rehabilitation and recovery training in lieu of a return to prison. The 2… Continue Reading
The Deep End of the Pool
My cousin, Thad, was born with Down’s Syndrome. He was 6 months younger than me, so we grew up together. Those who knew Thad knew that what he lacked in cognitive abilities, he more than made up for with a heart as big as the sky. From my very first memories of Thad, he would… Continue Reading