The 4th-century pastor and Bishop, Gregory of Nyssa, expressed the difficulty of preaching at family members’ funerals. When eulogizing his brother, Basil the Great, Gregory noted the “burden” of honoring his life. Despite the personal strain, he viewed his oration as “good medicine” for the grieving. In addition to pointing people to Jesus Christ at a …
If we aren’t intentional, we’ll let the fear of the destination ruin the joy of the journey. We miss out on the wonderful life stretching before us. I was taking Max, our Schnauzer, to Judy, a friend who keeps him when we are gone. Max is old now. His twin brother, Baylor, died several years …
My great-grandfather, Reverend A.F. Whitlock, a retired Baptist minister, would dress in a white shirt and tie well into his nineties. “I never know when I may be needed, he would say. Great-Grandad loved the Bible. “As many times as I’ve read it,” he said to me more than once, “I always find something new …
“Oh, I remember those tennis shoes I’m wearing in that picture. I begged you and Mom to get them for me.” David Jr. was looking through old photos while he and his family were home with us for Christmas. I had been rummaging through photo albums the week before, cleaning them out and organizing them. …
For many, it’s that time of year when our best intentions shift into overdrive as we make all those New Year’s resolutions, hoping to cruise through the year accomplishing them all. And too often, we end up disappointed again. That’s because resolutions tend to become ends in themselves, and when that happens, they overload our …