Well, we sure did start the year off on the “left foot” (See last month’s article). We started well, and we’re continuing well, but it is a challenge, isn’t it? We began the year with communion and the wonderful fellowship of our small groups, but it wasn’t long before we had to say goodbye to Peggy Miller, Mary Plum Hogge, Karen McNeil, and shortly after that, I had to say goodbye to my own mothe...  Read More

The ashes lay black and gray in the bottom of the fire pit. No lingering embers, no smokey smell. Only ashes, remnants of a brief, blazing fire which gave us warmth and light on a cold New Year’s Eve. Now no life-giving light or heat, only dead ashes.Ash Wednesday this year is February 14—Valentine’s Day, a day we celebrate love. How ironic, I think, that the reminder of our mortality is linked to...  Read More

OUTREACH LEADS TO WITNESS“Birthed by God.” That is how Becky Holland describes Pure Water Ministry, and God’s calling her to service.Becky experienced her call at a business meeting in 2000 at Columbia, South Carolina, where she heard a voice coming from an intense light say, “Come home.” Her response to whatever that meant was, “I’m yours.” Three months later, she found herself at another busines...  Read More

Wrestle.  In my younger days I was a fan of professional wrestling. My teen age friend Stimp and I went to Richmond to see I don’t remember who, wrestle. We hitchhike back home in the wee hours of the morning but that’s another story. Later, I enjoyed watching Tony Atlas, Gorgeous George, and others on TV.  But you know we have our own personal wrestling matches with mental issues, physical proble...  Read More

Comfort. We think about finding comfort in the shelter of our own homes. This is where we can be ourselves and relax. We think about the comfort of our beds when we are tired and sleepy. We think about the comfort of friends gathered around us. We like to ride in comfortable automobiles. And then there is comfort food like peanut butter. There is something about “comfortable foods” that put our tu...  Read More

Friend. There are all kinds of friends. Some close, some not so close. Then there are acquaintances who could develop into friends. Don’t forget that the world is full of people who could well become your friends.  A close friend, I mean a really true friend, is one who knows all your faults, your personality traits, and really most everything there is to know about you and is still willing to sac...  Read More