“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 NIV Next time you think to say, The universe is working against me or The stars are not lined up for me today, consider that the God of … Continue reading →
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” — Jeremiah 29:13 NIV If God requires an intentional seeking to find Him, what makes us think we can haphazardly bounce through life like pinball game as our plan for achieving success. God doesn’t hide from us and He doesn’t make it difficult to be … Continue reading →
“make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands” — 1 Thessalonians 4:11 NIV Climbing the ladder of success or clawing for the big promotion or obsessing about the most social media followers is not the means to a life of peace, contentment, and satisfaction. There is nothing wrong … Continue reading →
“The God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 NIV It’s likely that we all know someone who thinks they are an expert in a subject just because because they did a quick internet search. The … Continue reading →
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13 NIV Don’t wonder where God is when adversity strikes, if all along you’ve been pushing Him away. God doesn’t hide from us and He doesn’t make it difficult to be found by us. God is there when we need Him but He does … Continue reading →
“Anyone who withholds kindness from a friend forsakes the fear of the Almighty.” — Job 6:14 NIV I am convinced that when we get to Heaven we are going to meet people we never knew who are going to thank us for showing them kindness at some point during their earthly lives. I imagine the kindness shown may be simply … Continue reading →
“but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” — James 3:8 NIV Many years ago I was a chaplain in the emergency department when the ambulance brought in a man who was still receiving CPR. The doctor called the time of death shortly after. When the family arrived I got the … Continue reading →
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” — Philippians 4:8 NIV It can be argued that the only thing about our lives that we have control over is our thoughts. Our physical traits are inherited from our … Continue reading →
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” — 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV The verse is contrasting putting our energy into a temporal earthly purpose vs putting our energy into an eternal spiritual purpose. There is value to doing things for temporal … Continue reading →
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11 NIV Please don’t think that you are a walking example of Murphy’s Law. Don’t even entertain the thought that you are given to bad luck, that the stars … Continue reading →
“Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” — Psalm 63:3 NIV I’m not one who is easily convinced by the stories of people who claim to have died and gone to Heaven. My hang-up is that none of them remained dead and their hearts resumed beating. To me their stories could just as easily be … Continue reading →
“say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” — Isaiah 35:4 NIV In this world we sometimes are left to wonder if evil-doers will ever face justice or if wicked people will ever face the vengeance they deserve for the … Continue reading →
“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” — James 1:19-20 NIV It’s likely that we all have heard an old saying that goes, “God gave us two ears and one mouth so we … Continue reading →
“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 NIV It has been said that when we get to Heaven, there will be two things that will surprise us: those who aren’t there and those that are there. The reason for this is because the Lord judges man by his/her heart. We tend … Continue reading →
“And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” — 1 Corinthians 10:10 NIV While the larger context of this verse is the disobedience of the Israelites traveling through the wilderness out of Egypt, there is a truth here for us to take heed to and that is to not grumble. Grumbling is not … Continue reading →
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8 NIV I once asked a hospice patient, How is your spirit? She immediately said, Content. I have a peace and contentment in … Continue reading →
“and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you” — 1 Thessalonians 4:11 NIV Many young people look toward their future with dreams of fame as a sports star, a Hollywood celebrity, or a popular singer in front of stadium crowds. In … Continue reading →
As an evangelical church minister, I have officiated 5000+ beach weddings and vow renewals along Gulf Coast Alabama, Mississippi, Northwest Florida, and in 2010 was featured on ABC Good Morning America, Fox News, and the Christian Television Network. In that year I officiated a Valentines Day mass wedding vow renewal at Lulu’s at Homeport restaurant in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The Guinness Book of World Records people were on … Continue reading →
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22 NIV While serving as a hospital chaplain in Mobile, Alabama when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, I was struck by something I noticed among the patients in its aftermath. The days that followed were very somber among hospital staff and patient’s family. … Continue reading →
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” — James 1:27 NIV When we consider the topic of religion, our minds likely reflect on the outward expressions of rituals, sacred writings, or holy artifacts. However, the type … Continue reading →
There are eight Bible passages/verses that I keep close by when I’m called to visit a hospital patient or a hospice patient or someone trying to make sense of a tragic or traumatic event. I’ve never unloaded all of them in a single visit and I can’t image a situation where I would reference more than two or three. I’m … Continue reading →
“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20 NIV The things that excite this world are not the same as what inspires a follower of Jesus Christ. The world may celebrate immorality, knowingly promote a lie, and applaud when truth is … Continue reading →
It is not uncommon for hospice patients to come to the end of their lives and claim to have visitors who have passed years earlier. For example, a patient may engage in a conversation with a sibling that can’t be seen and that we know has been deceased for several years. Sometimes patients point out their visitors to others and … Continue reading →
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” — Matthew 6:34 NIV Years ago I sat at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant when a guest at our table tried to engage the cook in a conversation regarding a recent societal event. The cook simply retorted back, Not my problem. … Continue reading →