4/6/26   MondayMatters:  Keep Easter Going

4/6/26 MondayMatters: Keep Easter Going

Easter is not a one day event. Easter changed our calendar. It changed our holiday system. It changed the Hallmark Business and the Cadaver Egg business. More importantly, Easter changed the whole plan of salvation. God allowed access mankind to Himself by way of His Son, Jesus. Not only is Easter more than a one… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Day 45: Necessary Suffering

MondayMatters Day 45: Necessary Suffering

Jon-Mical pitched yesterday against a very good team from Youngstown, Ohio. He pitched well, going 6 1/3 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 walks,  with 2 strikeouts. We won 11-4. And I suffered through most of the game. There is a unique form of suffering that grandparents endure at ballgames or band concerts. It… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Lent Day 44: Backwards Land

Reading today Psalm 95 and John 18:24-40 When Jon-Mical and Jakson, our grandsons, were little, I began telling them an ongoing story when they came over to spend the night. We would all squeeze in the same bed together, Mimi, Jon-Mical, Jakson, and PoppyC, and they would say,”PoppyC, tell us a story about Backwards Land.”… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Lent Day 41: That About Says It All

MondayMatters Lent Day 41: That About Says It All

MondayMatters Lent Day 41: That About Say’s It All John 12:1-11   I think they are called microcosms, those snapshots of life that pretty much sum up the whole thing. We had one this morning. I was getting Amos ready for school. He’s 3 and ¾. (Do NOT forget the ¾’s. In fact, he says… Continue Reading

VLOG   MondayMatters 3/30/26:    Managing the Middle

VLOG MondayMatters 3/30/26: Managing the Middle

https://youtu.be/9wsbari8pnk?si=mf-fboa0l6dQ8gte Knowing where we start and where we finish is 90% of the battle. What’s even better is knowing that where we start and where we finish is in hands far bigger and better than ours. Begin with God. End with God. And you’ll be able to manage the middle. Don’t forget to follow branchesblog.com… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Lent: March 25,   Day 36    Sweet Comfort

MondayMatters Lent: March 25, Day 36 Sweet Comfort

MondayMatters Lent: Day 36 (yes, I miscounted the days yesterday ) 2 Corinthians 1:3-11 I have a friend, Bryan Duncan, who played in a Christian Rock Band in the 70’s called The Sweet Comfort Band. They came to be in the second wave of the Jesus Revolution that started in the hippie world of Riverside,… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Lent: March 26, Day 37       And Then You Die

MondayMatters Lent: March 26, Day 37 And Then You Die

MondayMatters Lent: Day 37 And Then You Die Isaiah 53:7-10 I have good news and bad news. The bad news first. This is a very busy morning. It’s Thursday morning, so I have my weekly men’s Bible study, usually 20-25 guys that meet at 6am every Thursday. We have been studying the lives of the… Continue Reading

MondayMatters Lent Day 38    Viernes de Dolores

MondayMatters Lent Day 38 Viernes de Dolores

We are keeping Caleb and Amos while their parents are traveling. The morning routine is grueling. It’s funny. At home, I am up by 4:30 or 5 every morning, fully refreshed, lots of quiet time, totally prepared to face the day. Here, I scramble out of bed at 6, gulp down the first of several… Continue Reading