Sunday, February 14, is Valentine's day and this is traditionally a day for couples (married, engaged, committed, or engaged) to express their love for one another.  In some ways it is sad that we need a specific day to remind us to share our love with those who are special to us.  Still it is helpful to have a specific day when we can stop and focus our affection on the people we value most.  This year, perhaps more than any other, is a year when we need to share our love...

It is a very common practice, as we begin a new year, to make "new years resolutions."  Usually these are stated in the form of goals that one wants to achieve in the new year.  Often times they involve intentions to change ones behavior:  exercise more, adopt a healthy diet, read the Bible each morning, etc.  The problem with setting these goals is that although we may begin the year with sincere intentions, often by February we have already lost our momentum.  By the time we come to December we are lamenting about how far we have gotten off track and how we need to work harder at these goals next year.  Maybe we need a different approach...

On December 21, my wife, daughter, and I stood in our driveway (Sapulpa, Ok) and marveled at the beautiful sight of Jupiter and Saturn (the two largest planets in our solar system) as they "aligned" and gave off a marvelous light, marking the beginning of the winter solstice.  Their alignment this year is rare and hasn't been seen since the Middle Ages.  It is this phenomenon, many believe, that the Wise Men witnessed so many years ago.  How blessed we are to have been able to see it as we approach Christmas day, 2020.  It should cause all of us to stop and think...

I was very frustrated (driving West-bound on highway 117) as I got behind a car doing 30 mph at best.  "Why is he going so slowly?"  I exclaimed to myself.  I was preparing to pass and zoom to a normal highway speed when I glanced to my left and saw what was the probable cause of his slow travel:  He was looking at the Christmas light display which is prepared annually by the Paragon company.  I hadn't really noticed it as I was "zipping" by, but when I looked I was caught by the beauty and grandeur of these marvelous lights.  For me it was a "God moment" as i realized that I was rushing through Christmas and was on the verge of missing the wonder of it all.  I realized that I needed to "slow down" a bit.  Could this be true of you as well?...

We hear a lot about angels in the Bible.  At Christmas time, we are especially reminded of their presence in our lives: Gabriel appears to Zechariah to announce the birth of John the Baptist.  Gabriel again appears to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus.  Then after the birth of Jesus "an angel of the Lord" appears to Shepherds to announce the Messiah's birth.  Though angels don't show up on every page of the Bible, their work is mentioned frequently enough to let us know that they are at work in our world.  But the angels that are on my mind today are not the true celestial beings whose work is both mysterious and grand; rather it is those who are "angel like" in that often they work behind the scenes but bring great blessing to those who are the objects of their favor.  Today I'm thinking of people like you and me, who have the opportunity to be "angels" for the sake of others...

As we approach Thanksgiving day, there are many things that I am thankful for; but this year I am especially thankful for family and friends who have blessed me in so many ways.  I was especially reminded of this as I prepared my message for last Sunday based on a text from 1 Thessalonians, 3:7-13.  In this passage Paul begins by asking the question:  "How can we thank God enough? (vs. 9).  He then expounds on his thanksgiving by describing his relationship with the Thessalonians in light of four important qualities:  joy, faith, love, and strength.  These are four quality, I believe, that my family and friends have imparted to me over the years.  It is these qualities, and the way my friends have shared them with me, that have made our relationships meaningful and deep.  I am so thankful for the people who have shared these gifts with me...

I recently "connected" with Debra Laaser on linkedin.  In doing so I learned that she and her late husband, Mark, had worked together, for over thirty years, developing the Faithful and True ministries which provides services especially for those struggling with sexual addiction.  (You can read more about their ministry at:  www.faithfulandtrue.com.).  Their services include:  counseling, workshops, articles, podcasts, blog posts, and books.  They have a wonderful team of professionals dedicated to assisting  individuals and couples in their struggle with sexual addiction.  I believe most are aware that the need for these kind of professional services  is rapidly growing...

Last week I received a call from my wife.  While driving at night she had run into a curb and ruined her driver-side front tire and rim.  Fortunately neither she, nor my daughter who was with her, were injured in the accident.  I was only about two miles away from where the accident occurred so I went there immediately to assist her.  Unfortunately, it was already dark, and since I had never changed a tire on her Toyota Camry, I was "in the dark" about the spare, tire tool, jack, etc.  After a bit of searching I found the needed tools and proceeded to get down on the ground to try to figure out where, underneath the car, the jack needed to be placed.  I then proceeded to try to "jack up" the car using a flimsy tire tool that looked like something one would get out of a crackerjacks box.  My anxiety began to grow as I realized that this may be a difficult task for me.   It was right about then that a 'good samaritan, showed up...

Long election lines are being reported across our country today.  This was certainly true of my polling place as I went to vote early this morning.  It took a while to finally vote and I really didn't enjoy standing outside in the cold.  But, this is a good thing because it shows that many, throughout our land, are exercising and enjoying this wonderful privilege that comes with citizenship.  Sometimes I think we need to be reminded of the tremendous blessing that is ours through our right to vote...

One of the things I love about living in Oklahoma is that we, for the most part, get to experience four distinct seasons.  I will admit that Winter has been sort of "light" for the past couple of years; still you can tell that it's not Summer, Fall, or Spring.  With each new season, activities change; so do the scenes of nature that surround us.  It is a reminder that life is ever changing and that each season of life is a opportunity to know God, our self, and others in new and deeper ways...