I remember when I was young, I would sit for hours and stare at wrapped Christmas gifts, never touching them (it was a family rule), and wondering what was inside. It's funny that I never figured out that I would get a lot of the things I'd asked for. And I don't...
I love getting presents. I especially like brainstorming gift ideas for my family and friends. I want people to do it for me; but often, a gift becomes simply a "thing" that represents the generosity of a person. This is, of course, perfectly fine, but don't you love getting that simple gift...
I hope your church offers opportunities for ministry. Yes, we need to reach the lost and be a beacon for the Gospel. But the local church also needs to be a place of ministry opportunities. God has freely distributed spiritual gifts to every believer and the church is a great place to...
We’re nearing the end of Christmas preparations at home. Our tree's up. Most of the gifts are bought, and our parties are planned. We always go through the same struggle each year. How do we buy special gifts for the kids without reinforcing Christmas materialism? We try not to go overboard, choosing the...
I love freebies. And this past week I got a bunch! Over the years as I've signed up for various e-blasts and restaurant clubs, I've listed my birthday. I'm not sure why, but it seems like I got a bunch of rewards when my birthday rolled around this year. They all seemed to...
I love how 1 Corinthians 13 comes right after 1 Corinthians 12. You're thinking, what else would 13 come after? But the content is interesting; that chapter 12 is all about spiritual gifts. Then along comes 13. All about love. Love. Agape love. The kind that's perfect. Just like God. We're to be known for...
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul explains the value of spiritual gifts. Our churches are blessed to have diversity in the spiritual gifts that are spread through the pews. God has scattered these "graces" liberally. We have so much to be thankful for. Can you imagine what God feels like when these gifts aren't...
I was in the mall today. Christmas is everywhere! It seems like it arrives in retail far to early! Even before Halloween or early October -- soon it'll be late summer when the Christmas tree make their appearance! In my family, we always waited to mid November before even mentioning the Holidays! Well, no...
