Month: August 2026

Green Eggs And Ham

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“Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” John 14:23

When my girls were little we had a nightly ritual of reading bed time stories. Dr. Seuss was at the top of the list. Both of my girls, even before they could read, had “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” memorized, and could recite the words just by looking at the pictures. As I grow older, the Seuss story I find most relevant in our faith life is “Green Eggs And Ham”. The main character in the story has decided, even before he has tried them, that he does not like green eggs and ham, nor the the Sam I Am character who is offering them to him. That sounds like us!

We Dismiss Before We Try

When Jesus implores us to listen to him, or to obey his teaching, we suddenly have a way of becoming very fussy on which lessons to follow and which ones we decide “that’s not for me”. Why not give the life Jesus wants for you a try. You may end up like the Seuss character, who in the end finds himself admitting, “Say, I do like green eggs and ham. I do like them, Sam I Am.”

Cowboys & Aliens

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“I have set before you life and death; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20

A few nights ago after wandering through an endless list of available movies on the various streaming services, I settled on a Steven Spielberg action film called “Cowboys & Aliens”. Now that sounded like fun, after all, Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and James Bond (Daniel Craig) were in it! What could be better entertainment than an old western filled with menacing aliens chasing these two guys! At one point during the movie one of the cowboys is having a conversation with an old preacher. The cowboy proceeds to recount the rough life he’s lived, and the bad choices he’s made, to which the wise old preacher replies,

“Son, God Doesn’t Care Where You’ve Been, He Only Cares Where You’re Going”

Truer words have never been spoken. With Jesus, your past is just that, in the past. You can make sure it stays there by choosing life today. Your future is what’s important and it can truly be a gift from God, that’s why it’s often referred to as the “present”. This brand new future can start today.

The Mustard Seed

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Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree” Matthew 13:31

I placed a penny next to a mustard seed just to illustrate how small this seed really is. It’s amazing to look at a mustard seed and to think of the magnificent tree locked inside. Jesus uses this tiniest of seeds to illustrate a powerful point. In Matthew 13:31 He says that if you plant even the smallest amount of faith in your heart, that faith will grow beyond what you could ever imagine. To further illustrate this Jesus says in Matthew 17 that “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you”.

Seemingly Little Faith Can Yield Incredible Results

We spend our lives looking at life through our very limited vision and comprehension. Why not sprinkle a little faith into your life. You have literally nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain.

Pick Your Emoji

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“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him” Romans 5:13

Years ago, as I would walk with my late father in law, Dr. Robert H. Schuller, he would frequently ask people passing by, “how’s your day going?” Invariably people would respond with a casual, “fine”, or “good.” Before the words fully left their lips I was already stopping my walk for I knew the lecture that was about to take place. Upon hearing the words “Fine” or “Good” Dad would stop on a dime, turn to face the person, and say, “No, no, no, good is not good enough,

You Have To Make It A Great Day!”

Years later I walked into a hotel lobby and found myself saying to the attendant behind the counter, “how’s your day going?” His response actually floored me. “Better than good, my friend, better than good. How can I help you” I smiled and soon found out that this young man had watched my father-in-law on television many times. He said simply having a good day was not good enough. You have to make the day what you want of it. The truth is, like it or not, we all choose our emoji’s daily. The day you make out of today is completely up to you.

The Sum Of All Fears

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“I sought the Lord, and He answered me and delivered me from ALL my fears” Psalm 34:4

Of the many great Tom Clancy novels, the one where the title alone caused me to pull it off of a friends bookshelf was, “The Sum Of All Fears”. The words in the title foretold a tipping point at which our worst fears are realized and we are overcome. We don’t even have to know what the book is about to understand a countdown to destruction is underway. Today, you very likely carry such a countdown with you in your every day life. It’s called the sum of all those nagging little fears that don’t feel overwhelming yet, but, give them enough time and they have a way of compounding on you. So what’s the answer?

Give Every Fear, No Matter How Small, to God

So many times we pray to God over our overwhelming burdens, and yet we neglect the little dripping faucet of tiny fears that rob us of our minute by minute and hour by hour happiness in life. I’ve stopped counting how many times the Bible references God telling us not to fear but instead to bring our burdens to Him. Today is the day for you to take God up on His promise of relief. Give every burden you have to God! Pray for His leading, His wisdom, and His intervention, then stop worrying. He is all you need!

Wile E. Coyote

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“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3

As a child my favorite day of the week was Saturday because “The Bugs Bunny Road Runner Hour” was on television. No kid could resist watching Wile E. Coyote, the self proclaimed “super-genius” try and outsmart the Road Runner. Whether falling off a cliff or getting flattened by an Acme road grader, it was all just too much fun to watch Wile E. work his antics. Of course, I’ve learned that what was fun to watch as a child now hits a little too close to home. For just like Mr Coyote, sometimes no matter what we do or what we try we encounter trials. Enter James 1 where he says,

When You Face Trials, Count It All Joy

Really? The easy temptation would be to say that James must be full of hot air. In reality, he’s not. Neither was Peter when he said, we can rejoice in trials, or Paul when he said that he had learned to be content whether he was experiencing plenty or want. The secret that all of these men held tightly to were God’s promises. They knew that God would never leave them, nor would He forsake them. This same promise is yours. All you have to do is ask Him. Look up.

Giants!

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“There we saw the giants, and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight…” Numbers 13:33

When the children of Israel reached the promised land, Moses sent twelve spies to scout the land to see what they were in for. When the spies returned, one of the twelve spies, Caleb, quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Joshua was right there with him, but, based on our bible verse today from Numbers 13 you can already picture the objections, and the rolling of the eyes from the other ten spies. “We don’t stand a chance”, I can hear them saying,

There Are Giants In The Land!

Caleb is one of my heroes of the faith. Here’s a man who was a slave in Egypt, watched the plagues take place, watched the Red Sea part, and remained faithful to God through 40 years of wandering through the desert along side a disgruntled nation who continually pestered Moses with a never ending chorus of “are we there yet?” Through all of that, Caleb, now 80 years young, says, “Come on, we can do it, Let’s take the Land. Caleb knew that with God all things are possible. Do you?

Stop Wandering

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“The Israelites had moved about in the wilderness forty years until all the men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died, since they had not obeyed the Lord.” Joshua 5:6

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel were rescued from Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, then disobeyed God resulting in a trip that should have taken them 11 days taking 40 years. I love the words from famed author C.S. Lewis, who said, “There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’, and those to whom God says,

“Alright Then, Have It Your Way”

With due respect to the famed Burger King commercial, which for a decade implored us to order burgers and “have it our way”, the worst decision we can ever make is to have our own way. God will certainly let us do so, but I’d advise against employing this life strategy. Saying “Thy will be done” to God is a time tested recipe for joy filled living. Jesus himself said in John 15:11, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” Searching for meaning? Contentment? Joy? Wander on home to Jesus.

I’m All Yours, Lord

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“Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” Jeremiah 1:9

Imagine standing before the Lord just as Jeremiah did. In that intimate moment God says to you, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” Then, fumbling for words just as Jeremiah did, you respond to God by saying, “Behold I cannot speak for I am a youth” In other words, “Who me? Are you really talking to me? I’m no prophet, I can’t lead, not like that. Don’t you realize my background, my problems, my fears, my insecurity….”

God Is Not Phased By Your Insecurities

God responds, saying, “I am with you to deliver you!” Friends, God has not stopped speaking, even today. Yes that means He’s speaking to you. Are you listening or arguing? Submitting or ignoring? I have discovered a stark reality in my own life. When I let the noise of the world consume my thoughts I’ve soon tuned God out. But in those times when I can filter out the noise of the world and spend time in prayer, God’s voice suddenly comes through in digital surround sound. Give it a try. Filter out the world for an hour a day. Use that time to praise God alone. Such humble devotion stirs the Heart of God and He will use your devotion in mighty and remarkable ways. He will put words in your mouth that will change the world around you.

Assurance

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Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. Matthew 28:20

In the year 1789 Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his friend describing the permanence of the recently completed United States Constitution, saying that the document, “has an appearance that promises permanency but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” The phrase “nothing is certain but death and taxes” has since become ubiquitous in our culture through the centuries. And yet, Mr. Franklin made one crucial miscalculation, he side stepped the permanency of God. For Jesus said,

I Am With You Always

I have taken Jesus at His word. Throughout my day, sometimes a dozen times a day I’ll find myself saying, “Thank you Jesus” for I know He is near. I can feel His presence, His touch, and His love. I cannot possibly describe the sensation other than to say I highly recommend it. I’m not unique, I’ve just made a choice to live by faith and not by sight. You already have all the tools you need to live such a life yourself. Simply say, Jesus I need you. It’s a conversation you will enjoy.