More than 10 years ago, my twin boys were in college. I was impressed to write for them lessons I was learning from the book of Proverbs – wisdom for a truly rewarding life. At the same time, another father named H. Jackson Brown was preparing his son, Adam, for college. He decided to write down the most important things his son would need to know as he prepared for life in the “grown-up” world. Eventually his booklet was published under the title Life’s Little Instruction Book. You’ve probably heard of it; it sold millions of copies. Mine did not. I am okay with that. I...

Where were you on May 18, 1980? Elli and I were with a group of 35 students in Spokane, Washington that day – the day Mount St. Helens erupted. The eruption shook the ground where we stood, created a 300 mile-per-hour lateral blast that flattened 230 square miles of forest within three minutes, and darkened the skies in Eastern Washington so that streets light came on. It was a bizarre feeling wading through 5 inches of ash in darkness at 3:00 in the afternoon. That explosion was just a fraction of God’s power! Think about the power behind creation. God created everything there is. How did...

Richard Armstrong, in Make Your Life Worthwhile, tells this true story. A man in Wales fell in love with his neighbor. One day, they had an argument, a spat, and she refused to reconcile. For 42 years, this persistent, but rather shy man slipped a weekly love letter under his neighbor’s door. But she refused to respond. Finally, after writing 2,184 love letters without ever getting a spoken or written answer, this single-hearted old man summoned up enough courage to present himself in person. He knocked on the door of the reluctant lady and asked for her hand. To his delight and surprise,...

John Scott knows a little about life feeling out of control. On his way up in a 480 foot mine elevator, the car stopped for a brief moment. John didn’t know the engineers were going to begin testing the elevator’s emergency braking system. The engineers didn’t know John was in the elevator. For two hours, the engineers sent the elevator into a 480-foot free fall, slamming on the brakes right before it hit the ground. Two hours! Imagine what was going through John’s mind? Life can feel like that. Inevitably, you’re on the rise, when suddenly the bottom drops out. Here is the good news....

Hey, want to hear some good news? Most of us are all ears when we hear that question. Of course we want to hear good news! We just celebrated the birth of Jesus, our Savior. The Christmas message is good news of great joy. As you start 2012, keep this thought: Jesus is your joy. The Christmas story is full of joy! The narratives of Jesus’ birth are found in the first two chapters of Matthew and Luke. As you read the story, you’ll find all kinds of emotions: fear, wonder, disbelief, worship, fury, weeping, concern, astonishment…and joy. Joy is scattered all through the story. But perhaps the...

What is your favorite Christmas memory? What made it so special? My trip down Christmas memory lane walks through old black and white photos of me as a baby sitting in front of a pile of presents, me sitting on a rocking horse as a toddler, and me standing in a cowboy suit complete with hat, boots and toy six-shooters. More recently, I envision the digital photos full of color instantly uploaded to Facebook of me sitting with my grandchildren excitedly looking on as they sit in front of their presents. We can truly mark the passage of time by our Christmas celebrations. Christmas can even bring...

When do you most neglect your soul cravings in the rush to tend to the “necessities” of life? For my wife and me, our schedule has been particularly busy – chaotic, really – these past few months.  And now, Christmas season, with all its events, meals and decorating, has almost put us over the edge.  Even Christmas can add stress to life when it becomes just one more thing to do, leaving us feeling guilty for having the “Bah Humbug” syndrome. You may not be able to snap your fingers and put everything in perfect order. You can learn to settle in the “here and now” and trust God...

What is it about this scripture that gets me? Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. On my grumpy days, I feel like talking back to the Scripture, “Don’t tell me to be happy!”  (Like I am reading between the lines… Here’s a happy coat, why...

Fill in this blank: Some day, I would love to _____________. That dream may seem so far off in the distance – maybe even seemingly unachievable in the everyday drone, hardships and pain of today. My challenge to you? Dare to live fully right where you are. Dare to live fully right where you are, by feeling and expressing gratitude for the blessings surrounding you.  When you find beauty in the everyday, you’ll discover the joy of Christ. And when you can honestly find joy in, or despite, your circumstances, you’ll be moved to extend it to others. Thankfulness begets trust, gratefulness begets...

How much can you trust someone? Only as much as you know him or her.  Now apply this axiom to God. The more you know God, the easier it should be for you to trust Him. In fact, we have spent the past seven weeks learning more about the character of God through “The Good & Beautiful God” series. A trusting relationship must have three things: 1.  Truthfulness (they must be willing to tell you the truth). 2.  Justice (they must be good and do what’s right). 3.  Reliability (they must be dependable). Psalm 33:4 says that those three characteristics are actually attributes of God....