“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:1-2, NKJV)
A few years ago I had baptismal studies with an elderly man named Oscar. He had just come to the United States from Guam but was actually already a U.S. citizen before ever stepping on American soil. Guam has its own government, [...]
Have you ever been homesick? It’s a terrible feeling, isn’t it? Do you remember the first time you spent a night away from home on your own? The first few weeks of college were really hard for me. I know I must have called home so many times, just to hear the voices of my family.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
That’s what homesickness really is, right? We don’t usually miss the actual building or even the place so much [...]
Since this is my 20th year of being a Bible Worker Lay Pastor, in keeping with the theme of “20”, here is my list of 20 things your Bible Worker will never tell you. While I have put the list together mostly myself from my own experiences, it is not entirely my own. Other Bible Workers have also chipped in anonymously with a couple contributions of their own.
Things Your Bible Worker Will Never Tell You
If I seem pre-occupied when you try [...]
Have you ever been part of a musical group of some kind – like a choir, band or orchestra? Making music together is an amazing experience. Practicing together somehow brings the members together into almost a single organism. Each person has their specific part to play or sing. It may be similar to someone else’s or it may be unique to that one person, but each person and part are crucial in making the performance beautiful.
Image © Stan Myers [...]
We’ve had a tremendous amount of rain this year, with five inches just last Friday. When I was driving in the pouring rain with the grandchildren, I told them we needed a boat, as every now and then, the water splashed up 20 feet or so on either side of the van. When the sun came out the next day, we saw washed-out driveways and big pot holes where the rain had washed away parts of roads. It [...]
How many of you have seen the movie The Runaway Bride? Julia Roberts plays a woman with a particular personality type. Maggie (the girl played by Julia Roberts), is the absolute epitome of the phrase “all things to all people”.
Have you ever met anyone like that? He (or she) gradually shapes himself into someone he thinks you want him to be. If you say you like jazz, this person likes jazz. If you like anchovy and garlic pizza, that becomes [...]
Have you ever worked for a narcissist? Maybe you think someone in your family is a narcissist? Maybe you are one and you just don’t care. Sometimes you may get into a working relationship or even romantic relationship with a narcissist before you realize what they are really like. They come off as sincere and caring, but before you know it, they are using you to serve them and their agenda. Many cult leaders are narcissists.
Below are signs, from the [...]
Image © Erik Stenbakken from GoodSalt.com
Last week I pulled up behind a stopped car at a red light. We both were waiting to make a left turn. The light turned green but the car in front of me just sat there. I politely honked my horn. The car continued to just sit there. Frustrated I decided to just go around the parked car and make my left turn! As I did I almost hit a fire truck with lights [...]
In the interest of full disclosure, I hate conflict. I will go to great lengths and do almost anything to avoid it. But I know folks who appear to thrive on conflict. They are not afraid to say exactly what they mean, even if they’re pretty sure it’s going to upset someone.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
When we talk about the early Christians we like to concentrate on the “all in one accord” parts of the story – they [...]
In her post, Life-Changing or Time Wasting, Lillianne Lopez cites that only 31% of Americans believe the Bible is inspired. Why do you think that is? I received a clue while I enjoyed reading Lillianne’s post.
Image © Sally Weimer from GoodSalt.com
A lady friend of mine instant-messaged me, saying she was frustrated with the singles websites, because the men contacting her were only after one thing – sex. She was disappointed she could not find anyone interested in a genuine relationship. [...]
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. Isaiah 65:24, NIV
It was a dreary day. The rain had come down in a drizzle that wet everything but didn’t clean it. The country roads were slick and dangerous.
We were returning from visiting relatives one Sabbath afternoon. My stepfather was at the wheel, Mother was sitting in the middle and I was by the window holding my 18-month-old son, Tony, on my lap. It was 1966 [...]
One of my life-long battles has been with colas. Actually I can’t honestly say I have battled it my whole life, which may be part of the problem.
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
I am not going to debate temperance vs. abstinence concerning colas, but let’s face it, they have 0% nutritional value, and if you drink too much you have the risk of cancer, diabetes and acid re-flux. So you can’t really say the nutritional value is worth all [...]
If you have ever been around a cat, you might have noticed its whiskers. Have you ever wondered about the purpose for those whiskers? Well, believe it or not, a cat’s whiskers work kind of like the Holy Spirit. They warn the cat that it is going into a dangerous place.
No, really! Check it out –
“… the whisker’s primary use is to help a cat judge whether or not he’ll fit through an opening. A cat’s whiskers are roughly as [...]
Have you ever been caught up in some activity that you knew was not right, but you rationalized it somehow so that you didn’t feel guilty? Rationalization takes a lot of mental and spiritual energy to maintain, but most of the time, the guilt drifts back into your consciousness often enough that you might gradually start to believe that you can’t be forgiven for what you’ve done.
Image © Krieg Barrie from GoodSalt.com
I remember several times rationalizing things that I [...]
I have found that there are some important topics that nobody wants to talk about. I went to all my regular websites and found an entire category suspiciously missing. It goes by several names – temperance, moderation, abstinence, self-control, balance …
Part of my problem, I think, is that a couple of those terms have taken on very specific meanings even though they can be applied in lots of different situations.
Temperance, for example, has come to be used almost exclusively in relation [...]
