I have been reading the Proverbs lately. The older I get the more I realize my lack of wisdom. James promises us that if we ask God will give wisdom to us. One continual prayer for my children is that God would give them wisdom - the skill to navigate the world in which they live. Tim Keller says wisdom isn't so much knowing the right answer, knowing what to do and not to do, but the gospel recreating us to be people who will not only know the right thing to do but do it. The Proverbs say much...

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I have been reading Matthew lately and it's no stretch to say that Jesus has alot to say to Conservatives. As many have said he reserves his strictest words for them. He not only spars with them but he initiates contact. He picks fights, speaks brutally honest and seems to invite his own demise at their hands. At one point he pronounces woes on them. He calls them out for specific sins and gives them the business knowing it will cost him his life. The strangest part is that at the end of the chapter he cries out to them...

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I've been reading the Gospel of Matthew and am amazed at how often Jesus says, "Yes." He heals with a word, instantly, immediately. He "drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick." When we deal with issues, struggles, sins, sickness, temptations I don't understand why Jesus doesn't "say a word" and the problem is gone. There are prayers my wife and I have prayed for over a decade and only once can I remember something happening that seemed a direct answer and that was about 3 weeks after the fact. And, over time, the problem got...

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Baptism. What's the deal? I have more students without Christian backgrounds asking me about baptism. In some ways this is a great thing. They don't have some of the Christian baggage and they have lots of questions. And, they instinctively know that if they are going to become a Christian then something must signify it, set it apart, a bar-mitzvah of sorts. With this in mind I'm going to try and hit what I think the bible is getting at with baptism.It's a coming out of the closet statement. It's a person's declaration that "I'm throwing in my lot with...

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I remember during studying for my ordination (the body of Christ confirming God's call on me through character and bible testing - a good thing) one of my peers who was on the examination committee asked what the sin of Sodom was. I thought to myself, "Is this a trick question?" I responded, "Homosexuality?" "No, it was actually being greedy, overfed and not concerned for the poor," he stated. I went home that night and googled (did we call it that 10 years ago?) the words: Sodom, greed, poor, and guess what? He was right! Ezekiel the prophet had much...

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Soriority recruitment, formerly known as rush is under way. I did it - well, at least the other version. Over the past couple days I've witnessed spiffed up after spiffed up females between 18-20 parade around campus, cheering, singing, marching. Perfumes I never knew existed exist. It's like walking through that section in the Department Store as a kid holding your nose. Why do we do it? I did it. Why? In my case I did it because I wanted friends. In my case I did it because I was scared. I was scared and lonely and didn't think I'd...

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I saw a book the other day called Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. I haven't read it yet but I will. It seems to me after 10 years of college ministry there is a tenor of disdain for organized religion. What does Jesus think of Organized Religion? Did He organize a religion? Did he go to church? Does he like the chruch? Does Jesus "love Jesus and hate the church"? Does he agree with the sentiment that I can love God but stay in bed on Sunday mornings? What does he think about...

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Our cat, like all cats, doesn't come when you call. I haven't had a cat since childhood when we had  two cats affectionately named Big and Little. Big was the larger, Little was smaller. Big was white and black, Little was gray and black. They both came home after a long night with cuts on their front paws. If my memory serves me they both came when I called. We would shreik, "Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty..." Several folks have told me cats don't come when you call. They may come when they see you going towards their...

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I don't have trouble getting students interested in caring about orphans in Africa (which they should). Even my kids get this. My daughter asked me last night, rather, told me that we need to support a child in Africa. I said that was a good idea but how about them (our children) doing it instead of Daddy writing a check they never saw or supported. "I don't make enough money. I don't have a job. My allowance isn't enough..." Recently we did an overnighter at the local Housing Authority. It was a near disaster. I had one of the longest...

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Another good one from Newton. After school:"How was school today?""Good. We did our stations. One station had the manger stuff. We played with Mary and Joseph and the animals but there was no baby Jesus.""No baby Jesus?""Yeah, he was missing."I thought about all the ways I could abuse that in a sermon. "What's missing this year in Christmas is Jesus!" "What gest lost in the merriment is the infant Jesus!" I could guilt peopel into "putting Jesus back in the center of Christmas." It is named after him after-all!Which brings up a question I've always wrestled with: How do I...

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As most of you know we have been living in a rental for the past year and a half while trying to buy a house. In this whole process there have been no options - nothing to get excited about, nothing to remotely consider. A few weeks ago we came across a contender and actually offered low which influenced them to drop there high price. Yesterday we took Newton to see the house while a couple handymen measured and figured what it would cost to update it. He really liked it and enjoyed showing Brian and Missy's daughter around. It...

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Why do we hate failure? At the beginning of the semester I asked my students what sort of social activities would they like to do. They answered resoundingly, "Kickball." Our last semester ended with a great kickball game and the enthusiasm obviously poured over to this year. So, plan a kickball game I did. I dubbed it the "Biggest Kickball Game Ever." We invited another group on campus to join us. There will be pizza. I had been announcing it for three weeks. I've even joked about bringing others to offset my insecurities about planning a party and no-one showing...

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After a long battle, over three months in the hospital, several strokes and a heart attack, cancer, and more, Aimee's grandmother died last Friday. She was in her late 80's, had lost her own husband years before and had her wit till the end. It was a long but good weekend. The funeral took place in Greenwood, Ms. in the heart of the Mississippi Delta where she and her husband of almost 50 years farmed just miles from the graveyard. Death has a sting. There is no way around it. Someone you love is gone. Their life on this earth...

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Recently a student I met asked me if I owned a grill. I said I did and explained how fond of grilling I was. I asked why he wanted to know. He said his student organization, BMW (Black Men of Western) was having a cook-out and they needed a grill. I said I'd be happy if they used my grill. Then I asked if they needed a cook. Rashad (the student) replied, "Yes, we sure do." I signed up for the job. After enlisting Brian to help we showed up with grill, cooler, tent and assorted items in the back...

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Tilley thinks she can hide. She likes to hide. She runs from you if she thinks you want to get near her. Only on occassions does she really like to snuggle. Usually she tears off and scoots under the bed which had become her favorite hiding place. Sometimes you can find her under a chair or table, we've even found her under a dresser! When Newton comes home he immediately does reconnaissance for the cat. Then, search and "rescue." He combs the downstairs, under beds, then heads upstairs where she is often found sunning in the girls bedroom window. A...

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We have a cat named Tilley.  My youngest daughter Chloe stayed on us for months. One night after eating at our favorite, cheap Mexican restaurant the kids went next door to a pet store. This particular store was the final stop for Shelter animals. If they didn't find an owner then the next step was the needle. By the time Aimee and I walked in the store Chole had focused in on one particular cat about 6 months old. She was a beautiful, buff color and stood out from the rest. She was not oversized or overhairy. I was attrated,...

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