When our son James was young…really young…like five, six years old…he decided to exert his independence. He did this by rooting for the arch-rival of any team I liked. My favorite hockey team is the The New York Rangers so he chose as his favorite team The New Jersey Devils. I love the New York […]
The apostle James writes: “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,” (James 1:19). Now, you won’t see that Scripture on a sign at a ball game like you would John 3:16; And it doesn’t fit nicely into a […]
Yes, I know, this is the day that President-Elect Trump officially becomes President Trump. That is pretty big news and probably deserves some kind of reflection or commentary. And I know that what I am about to write about would not garnish any national attention like the historic presidential inauguration. But it’s my “Reflections” so I […]
Christmas is over. Or is it? Actually, according to the Christian calendar we are now in the midst of the season of Christmas, having concluded Advent on Christmas Eve and begun the 12 Days of Christmas observance. December 25, Christmas Day itself ushers in 12 days of celebration, ending only on January 6 with […]
Can we extend the Advent season another week or two? I just seems to go too fast. I know that we are actually entering the Christmas season (December 25 – January 6) which is really the period sung about in the 12 Days Of Christmas, but it seems like Christmas ends on December 25th. For me, everything […]
This week the text I am preaching from is Matthew 2:1-12. It is the story of the Magi, or Wise Men. (They were not kings). The theme of Advent this year is “Mystery and Surprise.” The following story by O. Henry is one of my favorite short stories to read at Christmas time: The Gift […]
There are a lot of sayings that people like to attribute to God but actually are not in the Bible. They may have Biblical truths and some have their roots in a Biblicial text but are not actually in the Bible. We have all heard these phrases: “God helps those who help themselves.” “Spare the […]
Advent is a time of waiting, watching and expecting. We are almost through the first week of Advent and it seems to have flown by! What are the next three weeks going to feel like? Instead of feeling like our heads are being squeezed in a vice we are to embrace the season. Advent is […]
Susan is baking some cookies for James because she is going to send him a care package for Thanksgiving as he will be in Texas for the fourth year in a row. I went to the local Foodtown today looking for some of the ingredients she needed to bake. One of the ingredients was vanilla […]
The presidential election is over…Hallelujah! Seriously, I am so glad I don’t have to listen to all the hatred and negativity and the country can try to move on. Whether you voted for president elect Donal Trump (it feels really weird to write that) or not, the vote has been cast and as is our […]