I recently watched a documentary that followed a grief counselor as he gave advice and counsel to people and families facing death. I found it very thought provoking because his basic philosophy was that people shouldn’t fear death but instead should see it merely as a part of life. The setting for this documentary and the location of the grief … Continue reading →
Sitting with families who are hearing the bad news of a loved one’s death was a nearly daily occurrence for me when I worked as a hospital chaplain at a trauma center. The way people respond to a physician’s death notification varies so greatly that I began to wonder why and if there is something to be learned about such … Continue reading →
“So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun.” — Ecclesiastes 8:15 NIV The pursuit of happiness is not just a governing … Continue reading →
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” — Philippians 4:13 NIV Whatever God puts on your heart, know that the secret of success is His Spirit blessing your efforts. Our day by day activities are not governed by the miraculous but by our efforts. We may pray, “Lord give us our daily bread” but we don’t hold … Continue reading →
“The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.” — Psalm 9:9 NIV When the circumstances of life are battering against you like a ship on rough seas, the Lord is your sure stronghold. You can find a shelter in Him that is secure, safe, and peaceful despite the storms that rage on the outside. You … Continue reading →
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” — Galatians 5:22-23 NIV Love is a unique quality to the Christian faith. The emphasis on love is not to be compared in the sacred writings from other religions like it is in the Bible. It identifies God as love and speaks extensively … Continue reading →
“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” — Psalm 100:5 NIV Every now and then someone comes my way who blames God for some evil thing that has happened to them. Their blame usually goes like this: if God was real then he wouldn’t have allowed whatever it is that happened to … Continue reading →
How should we count down our days when we have been given a bad prognosis? If the physician tells you that there isn’t anything that can be done to bring a cure and you’ve been given days or months to live, how should you respond? How should we wait while waiting to die? With the initial news of no cure … Continue reading →
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.” — 1 John 4:18 NIV Fearfulness is usually something we experience when we are worried about a loss, suffering pain, or some type of major setback. We fear the unknown when the unknown could mean harm. It doesn’t have to be … Continue reading →
“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.” — Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Life is full of unintended consequences. A high school graduate is drawn to law enforcement work but after joining the police force, he’s losing sleep at night over the seedy world of crime and drug addiction. Another desired to earn her registered nursing … Continue reading →
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” — Romans 12:15 NIV When Bill Clinton was running for President of the USA in 1992 he often repeated this phrase to his campaign audiences, “I feel your pain.” He won that election because voters felt like he understood them, he related to them, and he identified with them. Whether … Continue reading →
“I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live…and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.” — Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 NIV The God of the universe takes pleasure in our happiness, our doing good, and enjoyment in our chosen careers. Sometimes God is portrayed as mean … Continue reading →
“The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him” — Daniel 9:9 NIV I used to have a childhood friend, who for a period of time, went a little overboard with promoting the saying, “I don’t get mad, I get even.” We were probably in 6th or 7th grade at the time and I … Continue reading →
“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky” — Philippians 2:14-15 NIV My wife and I once had a friendship with a couple until their marriage dissolved into divorce. When a new spouse came into … Continue reading →
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” — Romans 12:15 NIV There is a powerful lesson here in the art of effective communication and it’s acknowledging people’s feelings. People are emotional beings who are emotionally driven. We are drawn toward others who make us feel good and we tend to avoid those who cause our feeling meters … Continue reading →
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” — Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV The human spirit is an intricate thing and a never ending study for someone with an interest in why we do what we do when times … Continue reading →
“The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child.” — Ezekiel 18:20 NIV We know that the best of parents can find themselves with the most unruly child. We are all individuals with our own personalities and character issues, … Continue reading →
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” — John 8:32 NIV People are emotional beings that are moved by feelings more than facts or actual truth. We find it easy to make decisions based on our mood or emotions. If it feels good, if it helps raise our level of satisfaction, or if it … Continue reading →
“Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced” — 1 Chronicles 16:12 NIV If we forget the way the Lord has led us in our past circumstances we leave ourselves vulnerable to fearfulness as we face our future. The unknown of what lies ahead can easily stir up feelings of anxiety, especially as we enter … Continue reading →
Few of us have actually set out to live our lives as pirates, obsessively searching for rum and treasure while giving no regard for contributing to society or being a morally centered citizen. Some have and they have prisons to call their home. Most of us have set out to do something positive with our lives, like build a family … Continue reading →
“in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time” — Titus 1:2 NIV Most religions recognize that our planet has been subverted by evil and that some type of divine intervention will either end it, correct it, or re-make it. The promise of the Christian faith, as explained in the Bible, … Continue reading →
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” — 2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV The cycle of life for mankind is interesting to me. In our youth we are physically invincible and our minds rush us headstrong into the future as if we are 10-foot tall and bullet … Continue reading →
“being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience” — Colossians 1:11 NIV There is great value to the individual who is patient enough to endure hardship. The old adage that says, “Good things come to them that wait” is true. The couple with the happiest marriage are usually the … Continue reading →
“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 1:4 NIV I’m on a lot of mailing lists for ministers, and from time to time I get brochures advertising travel tours to Israel, the Holy Land, and others that follow the footsteps … Continue reading →
“The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” — Proverbs 12:18 NIV You have likely heard the old adage: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I doubt that adage is completely truthful because as I think back to my childhood, I can’t really remember all … Continue reading →
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” — Isaiah 55:8–9 NIV I am a chaplain in healthcare, but that doesn’t mean I know medical things like a physician or … Continue reading →
“Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together.” — Psalm 34:3 NIV On the Beatles 1969 Abbey Road album, the song Come Together was one of the most popular. It actually started out as a campaign song for Timothy Leary’s run for California Governor. The song ended up being filled with Lennon’s nonsensical lyrics (like “toe-jam football”) … Continue reading →
After 35 years of serving as a church pastor, I have learned something about why people come to celebrations or ceremonies. I’ve learned that at a baptism, we come to see the candidate take a public stand for following the Lord. At a wedding, we come to see the beauty of a bride and her happily ever after. But at … Continue reading →
I’m placing these items here so they are accessible to myself or anyone needing resources for a graveside ceremony. Scripture 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 Psalm 23:1-6 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Committal For as much as God in His infinite love and wisdom, has given us the life of _____________________ and has permitted him/her to fall asleep in Jesus, we do … Continue reading →
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” — Romans 8:6 NIV Sister Eva was a Catholic nun and a hospital chaplain whom I worked with for several years before she retired. She was fond of saying to me and the other chaplains, Don’t lose your peace. Whenever one … Continue reading →
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV Let’s be honest, some days just don’t go as planned. On some days nothing seems to go right and everything seems to fight against us. Then there are those days that sideswipe … Continue reading →
”The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” — 1 John 2:17 NIV In 1974 the Rolling Stones recorded a slow-tempo song with an almost hypnotic melody called “Time Waits for No One.” Stones fans still consider it a classic, but everyone recognizes the stark truth the lyrics reveal about our world—time … Continue reading →