I love being a Dad. I love being a grandfather even more. Our grandson is too young to talk yet, but I look forward to when he does. If he is anything like my children were growing up, he is going to pepper his parents with lots of questions. It will be interesting to see how well his parents respond to the onslaught. You remember some of the questions you had to field: “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do people die?” “Where do I come from?” “Who or what is God?” “How can Santa Claus visit all … [Read more...]
Loaded questions, loaded baked potatoes
My thighs as I’m trying on size 4 jeans: “What year do you think this is?” Me, groaning and straining: “All I had for lunch was a baked potato.” Thighs: “With six pats of butter and about a quarter pound of bacon on it, right?” Me, still groaning and straining—possibly crying a little: “Small potato! So stop asking questions and get…[groan]…in…[gasp]…there.” Hips and belly: “Excuse us. We also have questions.” While we’re questioning—and sort of questioning bacon—Francis Bacon said, “A … [Read more...]
Making it to the other side of pandemic, hardship
As I waded across the creek in chest-deep muddy water, I thought to myself, “This is not smart! You are all alone and it is questionable if you will make it to the other side.” When I was in high school, I was a long-distance runner. Four days each week during spring training, I would run home from school to my parents’ home, 5.2 miles away. On this particular warm spring day, I thought I would take a short cut through a pasture, through the woods, and over the creek. I could save a … [Read more...]
Supreme Court: You are a bigot, God is a liar
In my 45 years as a journalist I cannot recall a member of Congress so passionately urging conservative Christians to get involved in the making of public policy. Sen. Joshua Hawley’s impassioned plea for Christian involvement is welcomed, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court’s disgraceful ruling in the Bostick v. Clayton County case in which it redefined “sex” as written in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. In its ruling, the court said “sex” no longer means “male” and “female” as biological … [Read more...]
Making a judgment call
Distances, depths—I confess it, I just can’t judge them. I think I go a little mental. Judge-mental, maybe? There’s a shelf in the deepest part of our garage. I know the car is in far enough when the WD40 crashes onto the hood. That’s when I think, “Okay. Perfect.” Of course, “perfect” to me looks more like hail damage to my husband. When it comes to judgment, distance from bumper to shelf is one thing. People? They’re another. Sometimes we’re labeled judgmental by others when we call … [Read more...]
What is God teaching us?
Most would agree this year has been hard on many levels. Added to the normal daily stressors have been an array of life-changing events – global pandemic, economic shut down, and current social unrest. While the Christian worldview broadly understands everything fits perfectly into God’s complete plan (Ephesians 1:11), the question is often asked, “What is God teaching us?” To answer this question, a few biblical affirmations need to be made. First, Christians must recognize God uses … [Read more...]
President affirms religious liberty; vaccine search
I am thankful to live in a nation that promotes religious freedom around the world. I am also grateful to be a member of a denomination that aggressively supports that effort. I applaud President Trump for signing an Executive Order June 2 that calls for the prioritization of international religious liberty in United States foreign policy and at least $50 million a year for programs that boost freedom for religious adherents worldwide. The president took that action just as Southern … [Read more...]
Seeking hope while battling ‘the nation’s ancient sins’
My brother once wrote, “Slave labor was brought to the U.S. to cut the overhead costs of agriculture. But what they didn’t realize is that the costs weren’t cut; they were merely deferred.” America continues to suffer internally from ancient sins of our forefathers, just as we continue to benefit from their brilliance that brought us checks and balances, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution. As many know at this point, a black man by the name of George Floyd was killed by … [Read more...]
SBC’s McLaurin: ‘Lament, listen, love, lead’
EDITOR’S NOTE: Willie McLaurin serves as vice president for Great Commission relations and mobilization with the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee. NASHVILLE (BP) – If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video recording must be worth a million. In the disturbing video of George Floyd, who died in Minneapolis on Memorial Day while in police custody, words are really hard to come by. A bystander's cellphone video showed a former police officer, Derek Chauvin, … [Read more...]
The simple solution: the love of Jesus
When a major life-threatening event occurs that changes people’s lives, organizations, and commerce, people often act out their insecurities and grief. Major natural disasters like COVID-19 have placed these tendencies on full display. This should not surprise us. Man-made terror like the 9-11 World Trade Center attack and the Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing, or the graphic death of an African-American man by a euro-American police officer, create opportunities for people to act out … [Read more...]
God is faithful, let us remain faithful
One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is 2 Timothy 2:13, which says, “if we are faithless, He remains faithful – for He cannot deny Himself.” (ESV). To me this verse speaks to one of God’s most reassuring character qualities and that is His unfailing faithfulness. The older I get, and more aware of my need for His grace I become, the more precious this truth becomes to me. God is not faithful to me because I deserve it or have somehow earned it but because He has decided to be a … [Read more...]
Three ingredients to make a charitable gift annuity
What do today’s low-interest rates, your discretionary funds, and a generous heart have in common? Together, these ingredients create the perfect opportunity to consider a charitable gift annuity! If you have an insured savings account or if your certificate of deposit (CD) has come up for renewal, you may have observed the interest rate has dropped significantly since the first of the year. According to Leimberg Information Services, The 90-day Treasury Bill and the 30-Year Treasury … [Read more...]
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