Devotions

My ability won’t take me very far My fragility is a testimony of Who you are.  -“Jar of Clay”    Aaron Tate/Caedmon’s Call When it comes down to it, there’s little we can do by ourselves. When it comes down to it, we can get a lots done working with others. But the only way eternal differences are made are when …

For the birds May is a great month for birds. This morning was foggy with humidity you could stir with a stick, but it didn’t phase the birds. They slept in a few minutes and began their rituals slightly later. The bluebirds won the morning battle of the birds.  A quartet of them serenaded us as we walked. Arriving back …

In the Garden It’s always been one of my favorite places. The prayer garden at Dry Creek Camp. It was evidently one of Harvey Jones’s also. He wanted his ashes spread there. His memorial service was yesterday.  It was a celebration of a richly lived life.  Harvey loved his Lord, his wife Sissy, and his family and it was a …

  It’s true.  A good cur dog can whip a skunk any day of the week. However, a smart cur dog won’t. It’s simple: you can win the fight and still lose.  I’ve seen dogs carry the scent of skunk for weeks and wallow in dust, mud, and cow manure trying to get rid of it.   If that dog could …

A beautiful morning in the piney woods.

What Train are you on? It’s imperative to listen . . . when a man writes from prison, or a dying man preaches his last sermon. Paul wrote his letter to Philemon from his favorite writing office, a Roman prison cell. “God of new beginnings, here I am again.” “I’m so thankful God is a God of second chances.”  – …

Tuesday, April 17 As they say, don’t try this at home.   The two teenage boys marched into my office.  One had a torn shirt and the other’s reddened eye would be black by tomorrow. They were both breathing like mad bulls from their fistfight by the high school lockers. They were now my charges in my charge in the …

On Work and Working David Cole is an artist and he’s been one of my best friends since the day we met in 1961.  We’re both Dry Creek boys who’ve never veered far from our roots. David is a talented saddle maker.  With his hands, he creates works of beauty that are enjoyed by folks across America. In many ways, …

Sara and Terry Iles are expecting their first child in October.  This is a lineup of this baby’s grandfathers.  Do you see any hope?  

The words of an encouraging friend are like ice water on a hot July afternoon.       Wed. March 21                 Where seldom is heard a discouraging word . . .  Recently I shared a Denver taxi ride with a fellow writer.  Her speciality was using social media and blogs to impact …

March 17, 2012 St. Patrick’s Day   I’d never linked two of my heroes until today. Joseph Jacobson (Joseph of the Old Testament in Genesis 37-50) and Saint Patrick, patron saint of Ireland. Notice I did not call him St. Patrick of Ireland.  Patrick was British.  He was kidnapped as a young teen from his family’s estate and brought to …

Brennan Manning is a great speaker and writer.  The Ragmuffin Gospel   Abba’s Child     I heard him relate the following story about fifteen years ago. I’ve never forgotten it: Brennan Manning’s best quote: The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their …

  One of the best parts of following Jesus is His faithfulness in the midst of trials. We are not exempted from trouble and tragedy.  Our comfort is simply knowing that He stands with us.  My travels to eastern Congo have taught me so much.  It’s a war-torn region rife with poverty, violence, and daily difficulties on having water, food, …

Le Petit Baton Rouge When you step out of your vehicle at Avery Island, a sharp pungent odor burns your nostrils.   It is the smell of hot red peppers in the drifting in the air.  You’re at the home of Tabasco Hot Sauce.   A few years ago while touring the Tabasco plant, I first saw the red stick shown …