God is like a Mom
The Bible is clear on the idea that we understand God better through relationships and comparisons to those people we know. We know what God is like and what He is not like as we interact with the world around us. Jesus told parables of familiar things to help us understand God’s character. By example,…
My Friend
Dear Lauren, I don’t remember when we first met. I don’t remember much about how we even became friends, but I am sure it was our boys’ faults. (Thank you to Skyler and Clayton). None of that really matters anyway because you have become one of my best friends and have even morphed into being…
Happy Birthday Clay
You are 26 today! When you were born, I could not see this far into the future to imagine what you would be like as an adult. Of course I hoped and prayed for a son to grow into a godly man. Together your dad and I worked hard to instill values and habits that…
Happy Birthday Connor
With this letter I first and foremost want to wish you a happy birthday. I also want to take advantage of it to say thank you, and I love you. Thank you for loving Emily and for the happy moments wee have enjoyed together this past year. Thank you for continuing the pursuit of work and…
Christmas 2021
Another year has come and gone. Some of it was good. Some of it was hard. Some was messy. Some was fun. Of all the words that could describe 2021 I think I will use the word languishing. Why? After 2 years of pandemic fatigue I think most of those I interact with, follow on…
Good King Wenceslaus
This is a very intriguing Christmas carol because it does not mention Christ or Christmas. I used to wonder what it meant and who this King was? It turns out he is as real as Saint Nick. He lived in the early middle ages in Bohemia (aka. the Czech Republic). He was really a duke…
God Rest Ye Merry
Every year we greet each other with the word merry, meaning happy or pleasant; merry old England referred to an idyllic life that was prosperous and bountiful and Robin Hood’s merry men were companions in arms. The Bible uses the word merry to convey a sense of joyfulness. Proverbs 17:22 says that a merry or…
Sin & Error Pining
Tis the season to listen to 24/7 Christmas music and watch Christmas movies. I was listening to O Holy Night which I have heard thousands of times. It is a weird thing to hear something and ponder it in a new way. The lines in the song that struck me: Long lay the world in…
Fullerton Free Advent Devotional Dec. 3
When have you been happiest in your life? What events have sparked the most enthusiasm? Have you ever been overwhelmed by gladness? The word joy is very much associated with Christmas and Christianity. In fact, the joy of the holiday is usually very contagious. When the wisemen saw the star in the sky the Bible…
Jim’s Birthday
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Jim; he is tattooed onto my soul with indelible ink. I remember things about him that I admired, his wisdom and thoughtfulness, his quick wit, the soft kiss at the start and end of each day. He never left the house without a magic trick…