Category: Uncategorized

It’s hard to believe that school starts next week. Where did the summer go? I have to admit to being old school. I don’t think that school should start until after the Jerry Lewis Telethon. But what are you going to do. It is what it is. I always liked the beginning of school. Guess I was a nerd. I liked the smell of new books and school supplies. I liked the challenge of the empty note books. Usually I was pretty bored with summer and ready for something to do. I liked the fact that school starting signaled the beginning of my favorite season, Fall. I love the leaves, the cooler weather, football, gumbo and the new fall shows on TV. Regretfully, in south Louisiana the cooler weather and gumbo are still weeks away. I like this time of the year because it is a better time for new beginnings than New Years. It’s the time for making a plan for education for the coming year. I always do my annual Continuing Legal Education in the fall. At our church we have a Fall Semester. I look forward to starting up our Connect Group. I really missed it […]

I just knew I wasn’t getting enough. I am way under the usual quota. Of course I’m talking about hugs. I read an article yesterday that we need at least 8 hugs a day and that’s just for maintenance. For growth we probably need more like 12. I don’t know about you but I’m way short of that. Check out the article for ten reasons we need that many hugs. Here’s just a summary: Research shows that hugging is extremely effective at healing sickness, disease, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress. A hug builds trust and a sense of safety. This helps with open and honest communication. Hugs can instantly boost oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger. Holding a hug for an extended time lifts one’s serotonin levels, elevating mood and creating happiness. Hugs strengthen the immune system and boost self-esteem.  Hugging relaxes muscles.   Hugs teach us how to give and receive. Hugs educate us how love flows both ways. The energy exchange between the people hugging is an investment in the relationship. It encourages empathy and understanding. It feels real good. If I’m going to get 8 to 12 hugs a day, I’m going to […]

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be  loosed in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah. Matthew 16 These verses are generally cited for the Peter and rock stuff. For 2000 years, what those references mean has been the source of vigorous debate. All this clouding the marvelous truth in the question, the answer and the source of the answer. Jesus asked his disciples the greatest question. “Who […]

I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand— from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry— forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor. (Job 42: 5– 6 MSG) A few years ago Glenn Packiam wrote Secondhand Jesus in which he suggests  we have accepted a secondhand account of who Jesus is in exchange for a personal knowledge of Him. How often have you met someone whom you have heard much about in advance only to be shocked by how different that someone is in person? In our spectator Christianity, many have only a secondhand experience of Jesus. That would be bad enough, but many of us are relying on rumors of Jesus that are incomplete or, sometimes, false. I grew up with the idea that we could only know Jesus through an intermediary, the church or her representatives. I remember being confused with the term “personal savior.” It took a long time to learn that Christianity is a relationship and relationship can only be experienced first-hand. There is a danger with this. Each relationship is different. My wife is a […]

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7 These words of Jesus seem harsh, until you look around and see how Jesus is portrayed today. If you want to get a taste of society, check out Facebook. Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of Facebook. This and all my  blog posts end up on Facebook. It’s a great way to share thoughts. I love to keep track of family and friends. Facebook is great. Let’s get a few things straight however. 1. You are not going to hell if you don’t “like” a Facebook post. 2. You are not going to get a “blessing” if you share a Facebook post. 3. Jesus didn’t come to make you rich. 4. Jesus didn’t come to make you healthy. 5. God is our “Provider” and […]

We had a case of growing pains with our great-grandchild this week. She had pain in her knees. A little children’s Tylenol and a heating pad and she was fine. Many of us as children remember having pains as our bones and muscles and tendons struggled to grow, especially during our “growth spurts.” There are spiritual “growing pains” as well. There are times when God stretches us. He grooms us for bigger challenges by putting us through experiences that stretch us. It may be a case of putting us in positions in which our dependence on Him is more obvious than usual. Perhaps He puts us with people who challenge us. Sometimes He works through “hard” scriptures that make us review our concepts of who He is or who we are in His universe. He may move us from a place of comfort into unfamiliar, even frightening, surroundings. The goal is the same: to grow our faith, trust and dependence on Him. When circumstances aren’t what  you would like them to be, when the things  you have relied on fall, when people aren’t there as they have been in the past, these may be growing pains. The good news […]

Every so often I come across something really worthwhile when scanning Facebook. The thoughts contained on this image qualified. A couple of days ago I posted about the blessings in my life. I wish I could get into the habit of looking back every day and being amazed at how God has blessed me over the last 65 years. There have been challenges and even some tears, but there has always been evidence of not just His presence but his loving, guiding presence. I am going to try to start each day spending at least a few moments looking back and feeling truly blessed. Just as the past is reassuring, looking forward is always intriguing. There is always a path ahead that we expect to walk. Reality is never exactly the same. Some of the great wonders of life are the surprises God has for us in the future. Almost no day goes exactly as planned. Certainly no year follows the path we have planned in our heads. The days that seem cloudy and challenging when viewed from the past, often turn out to be the brightest and the most inspiring of our lives. The ones that we think […]

Last week I had the two-year checkup following my knee replacement. I have had absolutely no pain since the surgery. I had minimum rehab. Even my other knee which had bothered me before, hasn’t since. I am so blessed. This afternoon I will be performing a marriage ceremony. This is an honor and a privilege. Thanks to Roger and Carla and to Pastor Jason. I am so blessed. I am an ordained minister at my church and get frequent opportunities to serve. In September I will be sharing with our SALT group. I get to do this blog daily and in November I will once again get to go inside Angola and see God work. I am so blessed. I have a wonderful family with many beautiful women, inside and out. I get to enjoy them with my fabulous grandson Nicky and my awesome grand-son-in-law, Tyler. I am so blessed. In the Navy we moved over 30 times. Since coming to Lafayette I have lived in the some wonderful house out in the country. It’s been almost thirty years. When my mom first saw our house she called it a mansion. She was a bit over the top. But […]