From my first day at Washington Elementary—when I reluctantly released my mother’s hand to take the hand of my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Speck—to the day when I hoped no one would detect the nervousness in my voice as I defended my doctoral dissertation, school has been a process of letting go of the familiar to …
“Just think, Eli, God knows you by name.” I couldn’t tell if he was listening. It was early. I had picked him up at 6:15 a.m. to take him to “Wildcat Baseball School,” a baseball day camp for kids at the University of Kentucky. Madi had warned me: “He’s tired and not in a good mood.” …
“I like to sit on the porch with a cup of coffee and have my ‘private time,’” Glen told me when I asked him about his morning routine. I’ve respected Glen, a retired farmer, and admired his walk with the Lord since I met him years ago. His homespun wisdom has guided me through many …
I wiped my forehead with my sweat-soaked shirt sleeve. “Finish this one little section, and I’ll jump in the pool,” I mumbled, giving myself a quick pep talk as I weeded my way through the garden row, my gloves caked with dirt. Weeding a garden is a lot like updating an old house: by the …
Charles Spurgeon, arguably the greatest of Baptist preachers, knew how to begin the day: “The early morning hour should be dedicated to praise: do not the birds set us the example?” And what an enlightening example God’s creatures perform for their Creator each morning. They are up early, giving back to God what God has …