Other Writing

ON CHRISTIAN MATURITY (5/15/2013) In the second half of Philippians 3, Paul

In the second half of Philippians 3, Paul writes about the maturing process for believers. After we are saved, we are to be continually in growth mode, with the goal of being transformed more and more into Christlikeness. Obviously we need to be in an active relationship with Christ in order for our growth not to be stunted or stagnant. That includes being in the Word and in prayer and in fellowship with the body of believers.

Paul points out that this process of growth (i.e. sanctification or...

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ON PHILIPPIANS 2:12 (4/13/2013) From Philippians 2:12 - "...continue to

From Philippians 2:12 - "...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling...."

You may have heard the phrase "hard sayings of Jesus." I am not sure if this is typically counted among them, but it can be hard for me personally because its meaning is not necessarily as obvious as a command like "thou shaIt not steal." I sometimes tend to forget what this passage means and have to periodically remind myself.

On the surface, it could be misinterpreted as talking about salvation by...

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ON THE PROPHET JEREMIAH (11/16/2012) As a result of being God's spokesman,

As a result of being God's spokesman, the prophet Jeremiah encountered opposition and persecution. In Chapter 20, we read that he was beaten and put in stocks. Proclaiming God's Word had brought him ridicule and insult and reproach, and he complained to The Lord.

There are several instances throughout this book of the Bible where Jeremiah complains about his circumstances and questions God's justice. This past weekend, I heard one well-known pastor/educator refer to Jeremiah as "a crybaby." I...

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TEN THOUGHTS FROM MY READING OF JEREMIAH 15-18 (11/14/2012) 1. I am

1. I am thankful that God understands me, remembers me, and cares for me and that He is long suffering (15:15). I am also thankful He has a good purpose for my life (15:11).

2. Sometimes we have to take unpopular stands against the majority. "I never sat in the company of revelers, never made merry with them; I sat alone because your hand was on me and you had filled me with indignation" (15:17). This brings to mind a time from my college days when a gathering at an apartment in Washington DC...

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MY COUSIN, "THE CHICKEN LADY" (3/17/2012) As many of you know, genealogy

As many of you know, genealogy has been a big interest most of my life. This week I learned that this lady, Nancy Luce (1811-1890) of Tisbury, Massachusetts, is a distant cousin of mine. Described as “a strange woman who exalted barnyard fowl to the level of human intelligence and lived and died with hens as her sole companions far removed from all mankind, she shared her home with her feathered friends, and when death severed the tie between them she gave them a decent burial in a graveyard...

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MORE THAN JUST A JOB (3/6/2012) I am attending the annual Samaritan's Purse

I am attending the annual Samaritan's Purse International Coordination Meeting at the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove. My favorite part of this meeting is when staff from around the world give testimony to the amazing works of love that God is doing in their locations and projects and in their personal lives. I am often in awe of the fact that I have been given the privilege to play some small, behind-the-scenes role in supporting those who are meeting people's needs and the sharing...

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DANIEL BOONE DAYS: MARKING BOONE'S LOCAL TRAILS (2008) On any given weekday

On any given weekday morning, hundreds of Wataugans make their commutes to and from their jobs in Boone. Most are likely retracing the footsteps of frontiersman Daniel Boone who passed through present-day Watauga County on various hunting trips as well as during his excursion from his home on the Yadkin River to the Cumberland Gap. The premier of Daniel Boone Days this September is a perfect time for celebrants to remember Boone’s passages through our county and the markers that have been...

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