Tonight is Christmas Eve and I am pumped. We have three completely different types of worship services so it’s kind of like chaos on steroids. There will be kids hopped up on sugar, mothers worried that all the food isn’t cooked, and father’s panicking when they see “Some Assembly Required” on the boxes of their … Continue reading December 24, 2019 →

Yesterday at church, both Melanie and Cherri said they had received suspicious text messages that had my name but a strange phone number. I asked that the texts be sent to me. They both did. This is what Melanie sent: Pastor Tom, Because my technological skills are lacking, this is the only way I could … Continue reading December 23, 2019 →

Rerun from Daily Devotional December 12, 2016 This past weekend, my family had its annual Robbins’ Christmas. The entire clan gathered at my parent’s home in the country. We had the best time seeing brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and of course, my grandchildren. While I dearly love my entire family, I spent most of … Continue reading December 20, 2019 →

This year, Melanie headed up our Angel Tree Ministry. We sponsored eighty-seven children. You’d think it would be an easy task, but as usual, there is always the unforeseen. While Melanie has had good luck in contacting the parents about the time to pick up their children’s gifts, she has had trouble getting ahold of … Continue reading December 19, 2019 →

Last week I was on vacation. It was a thrilling experience in which Shannon had me clean out the garage. When I was busy with the garage, Shannon walked in and excitedly said, "Isn't it fun to clean the garage?" What is wrong with that woman? No one likes cleaning out the garage. That's like … Continue reading December 18, 2019 →

Recently, I asked Shannon to buy me a new pair of reading classes because I had broken my only pair. When she returned from the store, I looked suspiciously at my new glasses. I didn’t say anything negative because she had been kind enough to get them for me. The best way to describe them … Continue reading December 17, 2019 →

Jane is a person of grace and humility. Last week, she sent me the following email. I pray it means as much to you as it does to me. "Tom, I said I wouldn't do this again, but this experience was so powerful to me that I have to share it. If you are desperate … Continue reading December 16, 2019 →

Someone once told me the most segregated hour of the week is 11:00 on Sunday morning. Sadly, I think there’s a lot of truth to that. And while most people think in terms of racial segregation, I believe it goes much deeper. While I do see segregation due to the color of someone’s skin, I … Continue reading December 4, 2019 →

Every Christmas, Merlene and Anton give Shannon and me a beautiful potted poinsettia. These stunning flowers always add even more magic to the Christmas decorating that Shannon does in our house. Yesterday, Merlene brought the poinsettia to the church. As usual, it was a breathtaking specimen. As everyone in the office began to comment on … Continue reading December 3, 2019 →

The church campus has some absolutely beautiful pecan trees that have produced a beautiful crop. Yesterday, before the first worship service, as I walked across the back of the sanctuary, Gary said, "I just picked up two big pecans on the way in and if your sermon is bad, I will stay awake by eating … Continue reading December 2, 2019 →