December 11

Wise Counsel

Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 (NKJV)

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.

John 14:21 (NLT)

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)

Someone once said, “You are what you eat.” And from a physical perspective. They are probably right. But from a spiritual vantage I would have to say we are what we think, and what we think and believe we will ultimately live and do.

When I find myself in a funk, it is because of my thinking and usually that tracks back to the counsel I’ve been receiving. Have I been in the Word? Have I grasped hold of His commands, believed them and taken action?

When I do, I share in His success and, in the end, His joy.

Father, fill my mind with Your words and not my own. Amen.

December 10

Star Parties and Good Samaritans


Be still and know that I am God!

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)


He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 11:15 (NKJV)


You were chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

1 Peter 2:9 (NCV)


For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)


Are you a talker or a listener or perhaps someone who just likes to see things get done? Are you more into listening, speaking or doing? We all have our naturals bents. My older son is a lot like me, a listener, I think, while my second son is the talker in the family. It’s my youngest boy and his mom who tend to be the doers--they like to see a job done well!

We all have our natural tendencies, but God calls us to all three! He wants us to listen and listen well, but He also has something for us to say and do as well.

Let me start with listening. The best way for me to listen is to be still--to just stop, get quiet and consider what God is saying . I remember a trip we took to the McDonald Observatory in the Davis Mountains of West Texas. There, on that cold November evening, we huddled on the hillside as a scientist pointed out one constellation after another. They called it a Star Party, and we quickly found out why. The stars were everywhere! I stood in hushed awe. I had never seen a sky so alive with starlight. As we stared into that star-studded canopy God spoke to my heart, See what I have made! He seemed to say. Maybe you've experienced something like this too. It seems nature and God’s Word (Hebrews 4:12) cut through much of life’s distractions and penetrate deep into my heart. This truth captures my attention and motivates positive change within me … critical inner changes of the attitude and heart.

As I listened, as we listen, God brings us light, but usually He wants us to do something with it. Like share it. All of us can speak encouraging words and we should ( Romans 10:14, Hebrews 10:25, Proverbs 25:11), but words are not always enough. God not only wants us to listen and speak, He wants us to do. Kind acts, surrounded by our encouraging words, offer the greatest impact of all. Small acts of love truly touch people’s hearts. Mother Teresa noted this ... and much more. She had it right when she said, "It is not how much you do, but how much love you put into what you are doing."

Whatever our tendency, it should always be in the spirit of love and for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Peter 4:11). It’s never too late to love; it's never too late to glorify Him … as we listen, speak and do.


Father, help me get out of my shell to find Your healthy balance … to communicate and to know and to accomplish for You. Amen.

December 09


Good Medicine


A cheerful heart is good medicine….

Proverbs 17:22 (NLT)


I sat in my dad’s new room and enjoyed the soft light streaming through the big windows. Outside, rolling, grassy hills and tall, whispering firs offered a quiet comfort—a beautiful setting for this modern assisted living facility.

Back inside my 90-year old papa hunched over the table fingering his morning assortment of pills and tablets—powerful medicine to counter the effects of so many physical issues.

“Things are going to be okay,” he said as he reached for the water glass. His spirit was as refreshing as the day.

Later, I walked the long, carpeted hallways and met him at his small table in the facility’s downstairs dining room. He had been here nearly two hours and was finally finishing his food. In spite of the struggle to move and swallow, he simply smiled and offered, “The food here is good.”

As I reflect on Dad’s comments, I am just a bit amazed. You see, I can never remember my dad complaining or whining about any of the hardships he's faced. And I have to say, he’s experienced some pretty hard knocks in life. His mother died when he was a boy and I’m sure he felt more or less abandoned as he crossed an ocean to live with distant American relatives. And there he was eeking his way through the Great Depression as the extra mouth to feed. Then, as he grew into full boyhood, his good friend drowned right before his eyes. Later, cancer took his brother at an awfully early age.

Now he deals with Parkinson’s and nearly half a dozen other ailments. It’s not easy, it can’t be, but he doesn’t complain.

It occurs to me, sometimes I am touched by a person’s thoughtful words; usually, I’m impressed by someone’s attentive actions; but what really gets my attention, and perhaps yours too, is a great attitude. A great attitude brightens up any life.

This weekend my life was brightened. This weekend my dad taught me a lesson as I saw again the best medicine of all—a cheerful heart.

Father, let others see this in me: Christ, the hope of glory. Amen.

December 08


Giving It Her All


She … put in all that she had.

Mark 12:44


I sat in the cold, black easy chair and looked around. The silver Samsung TV sat unusually quiet on its wooden stand as photos of faraway places stared back at me from the wall. The heater finally kicked on and the house groaned. It was just past 8 a.m. and I was sitting in my parent’s empty cottage. Empty, because we had moved them out the night before.

Mom and Dad are in assisted living now, and I have to say, it was a bit overdue. Dad is ninety, has Parkinson’s and is a handful. As I think about it, he has always been a demanding person and, for over 60 years, my mother met those demands. She has shown love like few people I know.

This morning, both Dad and Mom are being cared for. No doubt there is relief for my wonderful mother, but there is something else.

As I sit here, I think of Jesus watching the poor widow put her last two mites into the Temple collection box. He noticed her sacrifice. Jesus indicated she gave more than all the rest … she gave all that she had.

I see the similarity. To many, my mother may seem a small and humble person, but what a giver! I can only imagine the glory to be hers in heaven. I close my eyes in the hushed room, and I can see her wearing a crown and in the end towering over so many of us, because … she gave all she had. She gave until there was nothing left to give.

I relax, settle back into the easy chair, and further reflect on a life well lived.


Father, thank you for loving mothers and wives, and for Your children who minister so long and so well. May You bless their hearts with Your deepest joy and perfect rest. Amen.