When I was younger, I loved cookies. It was my goal to eat as many cookies as possible. My mom, being worried about both my health and my hyperactivity, would limit the amount of cookies we could have. My mom was very active. Many times she would be sewing in the other room, and I just knew that I had found my chance. I would sneak into the other room and go to grab a cookie. Invariably, just as I opened the cookie jar lid, my mother would yell, “JOSH, get out of the cookie jar.” This always amazed me. Obviously not familiar with the concept of sound traveling, I could not believe that my mom knew what I was doing while she was in another room. Read the rest of this entry »

Just recently, I went to a viewing of a lady who had passed away. I had spent some time with her, but we were not all that close. Even with the emotional armor that distance can sometimes bring in such situations, it was a very sobering experience. I was amazed to look at her. She was almost unrecognizable. This was not due to some major injury, but because it was obvious that her spirit was no longer there. All that was left was just the physical encasing that had been carrying it. As I viewed her body, I realized I was not really looking at her at all. Read the rest of this entry »

Growing up in a small town named Columbus, the Columbus Day holiday was always a big deal. One of the best parts of the day was watching them fly their hot air balloons. They were all different colors, and it was always amazing to me that they could get off of the ground and into the air. Periodically, they would have to have a burst of fire to create hot air. This was necessary to keep the balloon in the air. If you didn’t refill the balloon with hot air, it would eventually fall back to the ground. Read the rest of this entry »

Jesus tells us that we can recognize a tree by its fruit. He does not mean a literal tree, but instead He uses a tree as imagery to describe us. Like in most parables, Jesus uses what we do understand to explain what we do not. When we go to a tree and we see an apple, we automatically realize that this is an apple tree. The same can be said about us. When you look at the fruit that a person produces, you recognize what kind of tree they are. Read the rest of this entry »

Our lives do not happen in a vacuum. It easy for us to decieve ourselves and imagine that our actions only impact us. In doing so, we insulate ourselves from the true consequences of what we do. Many of us would feel terrible if we knew that are actions were hurting someone one else. It is much easier to think only in terms of ourself. Unfortunately such thinking is a misconception. When we sin, it impacts all those we come in contact with. Even when no one knows about it, our strained relationship with God causes us to not be as uplifting or righteous for those around us. Read the rest of this entry »

Throughout time, Christians have shown a remarkable capability. No matter what else is around them, no matter what calamity may strike, they almost seem to never be rattled. There is an inner strength to them. How are they able to do it? What allows them to keep their heads high in the direst of times? Do they know something others do not? Take Daniel for example. I imagine when he was about to be thrown in the Lion’s Den he was not screaming or pleading for his life. Instead, I imagine an unnerving calm about his presence. He was sure that his God could deliver him, but also content to do for righteousness sake (Dan. 6). Read the rest of this entry »

Right after Adam and Eve committed the first sin of mankind, they heard the Lord coming. Knowing that they had directly disobeyed the Lord, the hid from Him, not wanting Him to see them. They claimed it was because of their nakedness, but truth of the matter is that they knew that their sin would cause a rift in their relationship with God, that God would be angry with them. Instead of apologizing to the Lord and finding out what they could do to make it right, they hid from Him. They tried to avoid Him. Even when they had been found out, they tried to place the blame elsewhere instead of just being up front with Him. Read the rest of this entry »

Joseph was truly a great man of God. Here he is, a slave in a foreign country, and all of the sudden he is being seduced by his master’s wife. Considering Potiphar was a man of considerable means, his wife was probably considerably attractive. On top of that, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers after recieving a dream from God. No one here knew anything about him or about his God. It would have been easy for him to fall into temptation here. No one would have to know. And yet he resisted temptation. Read the rest of this entry »

Daniel was a man who could have easily stopped trusting the Lord. He was captured from his home people, and might have even prayed to the Lord for protection. He was a talented and attractive young man who was being groomed to be a lead official in the most powerful country at that time. Few Jews back home and even fewer here were truly diligent about seeking the Lord. The Babylonians had no respect for God. Daniel could have easily allowed himself to slip into the Babylonian ways without more than a few passing thoughts about God. Read the rest of this entry »

In times of economic instability, it is hard for people to trust in the Lord to provide. Instead they worry about whether or not they will be able to pay their bills, put food on the table, and keep a roof over their head. There are many sleepless nights wondering how things are going to be paid for. What starts out as a simple question becomes an unanswerable question. The stress is felt in our entire bodies. The physical effects are almost suffocating. We are distracted from our meditations, our prayers, and even our daily “housekeeping” tasks. Worry is a dangerous companion. Read the rest of this entry »