Sheep Food

  Well I made it…I am here (the Golden State-CA) and despite a two hour time difference, I am up and my heart is full. Many have asked if I would continue posting my ‘blog’ devotional-studies, expressing the hope that I would. My response was always the same – I will if He continues to provide. These postings were never about me trying to churn something out to draw a following, nor was I ever in ‘search of a pulpit’. But something divine happened in my life 3.5 years ago that forever changed it. I was dead, but now I am alive; and it is hard to keep something like that to one’s self. :- ) My Divine encounter that led to an ‘awakening’ within my soul was to me, something akin to what Lazarus experienced when Jesus called him out of his tomb of ‘stinking darkness’. (John 11)  I could be wrong, but I have a sense that many others have longed for something similar in their own journey of faith; a ‘journey’ that stalled out long ago. Yet they continue to trudge along in ‘fait...

 It’s ‘Go Time’.   In a matter of hours, after I complete one more sweep through my campuses to pick up that last batch of school picture orders, I’m heading west. It was 35 years ago, this month, my family and I made a visit up here to Lamar County from San Antonio. We were confident that this was where we were to set down roots and raise our three daughters I will be honest with you…leaving here was never on my radar. But then…God…. The two pictures I posted here this morning are rather fitting I think; as the sun sets over our Eiffel Tower here in Paris, TX…symbolic of my departure, a new chapter…or a new day, will begin in California where we will be closer to family. Believe it or not, I’m almost at a loss for words to convey what is in my heart this morning. I know this ‘farewell tour’ has been a rather prolonged one having made our plans public back in the early part of July when we put our home on the market. It has been overwhelming and humbling, to say the l...

  Why? Why would anyone be irate, angry, or even offended…if a blind person had their eyes opened and could see? It makes no sense to me; or at least to my natural mind and way of thinking. And yet we read of an account where Jesus was passing by and saw a man who was blind from birth. (John 9:1)  They stopped and His disciples asked Him if this man was born blind because of sin, either on his part or his parent’s part. (2) Jesus responded: “Neither his parents nor this man sinned.” (3) [Not long ago I heard a well-known preacher touch on this passage and then make the statement suggesting we could safely conclude by this comment alone that sin has nothing to do with bad things or sickness occurring as a form of judgment and suffering. He seemed to want to dismiss any relationship between the two. I was puzzled and wanted to ask how he interpreted what Jesus said in John 5:14 and Luke 13:1-6 (to name a few) but given it was a recorded broadcast, I was unable to do so.] Jes...

  We do not have the luxury to choose nor decide how God is to be “glorified”. I mean, folks try all the time to do this- determine what glorifies God. We all have seen and heard it, if not do it regularly ourselves. That college or pro athlete, after a stellar performance in a game, is quick and bold to tell the person holding the microphone in front of their face: “First of all I want to give God all the glory!” A timid singer stands before a church congregation and tells everyone at the start to “not look at me, but look at God as He is glorified while I sing this song”. Why, I have had people in a roundabout way tell me off and on over the years how some of my scenic pictures I take and post really ‘glorify God’. Please know that when I do hear that, I can appreciate what they are communicating in that moment. I ‘get it’; I get how when we see a photo (taken by anyone for that matter) of a majestic sunset or any aspect of God’s creation, we tend to focus our thoughts on the ...

  In this peculiar age of social media where anyone and everyone can quickly establish a broad platform and attract a crowd, hoping to find their ’15 minutes of fame’ or longer, it is often done so by performing and then broadcasting absurd and oftentimes, dangerous stunts. Hence the warning we see more and more often these days cautioning viewers to not try and imitate or replicate these things they see that ‘go viral’.  In other words, you would be foolish to try and do so. Those warnings are often followed up by listing an assortment of consequences one might encounter should you ignore the warning to not attempt on your own…things like sickness or serious injury and even ‘death’. I wonder at times if a similar ‘warning label’ should be attached or printed on our Bibles; or at least next to any and all of those verses that exhort us to be like Jesus. You know…the ones about ‘having the same mind as Christ’ or ‘being an imitator of Him’ or ‘walk just as He walked’. And le...

  It can be painful to follow Jesus; which is why many seek to find an easier (seemingly) path. And there are no shortage of those paths either where you will find plenty of company to join you. (Matt. 7:13) But I should also mention that this ‘pain’ I speak of is…different…than the pain and suffering which so many people suffer needlessly and is often ‘self-inflicted’. Now I know some would be quick to chime in here and state matter-of-factly that: ‘pain is pain’. So maybe I can explain it this way… How many of you have felt, if not been tormented by, the pain of guilt and regret because of actions taken or maybe words spoken to a friend or loved one (for example) that damaged forever, a relationship you once cherished? How many restless nights have you shed tears in the dark over a broken heart because the damage that occurred from that ‘falling out’ you had; and all seems lost and hopeless. And to make matters worse, you know your ‘sin’ played a huge part in bringing on thi...

  “This is My commandment- that you love one another as I have loved you.” - Jesus (John 15:12) Jesus said that. It was not a recommendation, a suggestion, nor did Jesus offer this up as good practical advice. It was a commandment. And it was a defining one at that. It was a directive that had the ‘earmark’ or evidence that would identify anyone who was a true follower of Jesus. “By this…will all know that you are My disciples…” (John 13:35) And He did not command us to just ‘love one another’. On the contrary- Jesus made the point to explain exactly how…we were to love others: - AS. HE. LOVED. US.  (Rom. 5:8) There really is not much ‘wiggle room’ left there in that command that allows for us to interpret it in a way that makes it more convenient for us to not fulfill and carry out either. Oh, and in case it had slipped your mind, Jesus also reminds us that “IF…IF…IF…we truly love Him, then we will DO what He says.” (as in 'keep His commandments' -John 14:15). Remember…”N...