I'm a list maker, an agenda setter, and I get way too much satisfaction when I check off my accomplishments at the end of the day. To earn those checkmarks I often hurry through the grocery, the gym or wherever, not taking time to give more than a quick "Hi!" to acquaintances nor to get to know the nameless people I see on a regular basis.

I recently attended the funeral of a former co-worker. This person had accumulated a lot of monetary wealth, untold possessions, traveled the world but had never trusted in Jesus. He was always putting it off and he kept saying, “right now I have too much life to live.”

Spelling words.  Social Studies tests.  English essays and finally ACT prep.  There was always some academic exercise on the table and always a battle to get it done. My daughter wanted to make good grades, but they didn’t come easily for her and she wasn’t willing to do what it took.

That summer the gardenias bloomed for the first time in years, I wasn't listening for God to speak. Those creamy soft, white blossoms with their enticing fragrance apparently didn't like our scorching Memphis weather.

It seems that some of the hardest times in our Christian lives are when we wait on a word from God. This unit of our study shows us that God speaks in many ways – by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways.

Khaki shorts, no shirts, towels hanging out of their back pockets.  Making pass after pass over the back yard – one pushing a Honda, the other a Fisher Price.  Our preschool aged son used to love to “help” his daddy mow the lawn.

Clearing a lifetime of debris from my parents’ home has been daunting. But, for them, at times, it has been excruciating. As I walk a path through rooms crowded with detritus it makes me think of so much flotsam and jetsam caught in the wake of a ship.

Jessica was born and abandoned in India. She had no hope of finding a family for herself – no resources –  she was alone and helpless.  A couple who had two sons greatly desired to have a daughter.

A moment from my childhood haunted me for years. I was about five and Dad needed a light bulb changed on the back of our house. To avoid dragging out a ladder, he tried to life me up to change it.

As Father's Day approached, I thought of my own Daddy who has been gone two years.  Soon after his retirement at 80+ years, he sent each of us children a letter asking our input as to how he could live a more holy life (1 Peter 1:14) in his last years. 
 

This has been such a difficult Father's Day. Just days ago he buried his son. This was the second adult son he had to bury in 14 months.

Wildly colorful ties, grilling tools, handmade cards, backyard cookouts and games, maybe a family movie… these are the essentials of a good Father's Day celebration.

Last Saturday at the Huntsville Space Center, I was able to share with my family my memories of the birth of the space program when I was a child as we toured the museum. I listened to their shrieks of adventure on the Free Fall as they were propelled high into the air in mere seconds.

Landscaping.  Painting.  Laying tile.  Refinishing furniture.  Adding a bathroom.   For hours every day my neighbor works on some type of project around the house.  As I see him tinker in his garage, I sometimes scratch my head and wonder what in the world he’s thinking.

It has been my experience that when God answers prayer, it often looks very different than I thought it would. Have you ever prayed that a situation would change in a certain way, and God, instead of snapping His heavenly fingers and fixing the mess, bids you to roll up your sleeves and get involved in the hard and sanctifying work of resolving matters?

Summer vacation has arrived for most school children and many moms will soon begin hearing that dreaded call: “Mom, I’m bored”!

Have you ever just known in your heart that a certain decision was the right thing to do? GBC's announcement of Summer Camp for youth struck me between the eyes. My granddaughter needs this, I thought, but she has health issues!

Do you believe we will have a church picnic in Heaven? I do!  But, it will be more like a feast. Jesus said in Matthew 8:11 Many people will come from everywhere to enjoy the feast in the kingdom of heaven with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

One of my early childhood memories is sitting on a wooden pew in a sultry country church with Mom & Dad, my sister & brother.  The preacher was very loud, but he didn’t frighten me.

The 17th chapter of John remains one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible.  To think that in verse 22, Jesus was actually praying for each of us as individuals.