We desperately needed the rain. But now that it has rained, I am complaining about the mud. When it was August, I wanted cold weather. But now that it’s cold, I am complaining about moving hay bales on a tractor without a cab. And while I have been unable to get anything done on the … Continue reading October 31, 2019 →

Yesterday, I had a finance meeting, staff meeting, and worship meeting. And while I can’t find it in the Bible, I am certain that hell is a church meeting that never ends. As thirteen of our church staff members sat around the large conference table discussing tonight’s Fall Festival, church finances, future ministries, evaluating what … Continue reading October 30, 2019 →

While many United Methodists see Evangelism as a four letter word, I think it is one of the most important aspects of being a faithful follower of Christ. But there’s a lot of confusion as to what it actually means. To be a willing participant in evangelism does not mean standing on a street corner … Continue reading October 29, 2019 →

I am pumped. Halloween is coming and our church is having a Fall Festival. Shannon signed us up to be in the Trunk or Treat. Last night, Shannon volunteered to make my costume. Immediately I had a flashback to my twenties, when I was an officer in an armored cavalry regiment, and had trusted my … Continue reading October 28, 2019 →

Rerun from 2017 When I finally finished defending my doctoral work, I was so glad that pain in the tukus was over that I wanted the doctoral chevrons tattooed on my arms. But Shannon wasn’t thrilled with the tattoo thing, so instead, we opted for a new clerical robe with doctoral chevrons on the sleeves. … Continue reading October 25, 2019 →

Buzz sent the following devotional. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me. “I read recently on the internet that if you eat right and exercise regularly, you can expect to live at least two weeks longer in the nursing home. Seriously though, I try to walk about 3mi. /day, … Continue reading October 24, 2019 →

Each week, Grace gets the privilege of editing my sermons for the radio program. This means every Monday she comes to work filled with joy and excitement anticipating getting to listen to the sermon over and over again. The problem is she never knows how long my sermon is going to be. Some are long, … Continue reading October 23, 2019 →

Yesterday morning, Buzz came by the office. We had a great visit. About an hour after he left, Buzz called saying he had lost his wallet and wanted to know if it was in my office. Very excited about the prospects of an unguarded wallet, I walked around my desk. It was sitting on the … Continue reading October 22, 2019 →

In 2008, Billy Currington released a song about sitting in a bar with an old man. As they get to know each other, he sings, "We talked about God's grace and all the hell we raised, then I heard the ol' man say; "God is great, beer is good and people are crazy." The name … Continue reading October 21, 2019 →

Rerun from May 23, 2014 A wonderful woman in my congregation lost her husband unexpectedly years ago. She told me that above the sink at her home she has a plague that says, “Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that you and I together can’t handle.” This … Continue reading October 18, 2019 →