When my friend left flowers (above image) on my desk recently they were brilliant, fully opened, and colorful. But a few days later they had wilted.

I didn’t pay much attention to them until someone walked into my office, sat down, and said, “You see those flowers? That’s exactly the way I feel!” She went on to share her heart. I tried to give her some perspective in life and a few encouraging Bible verses and thankfully she was feeling better by the time she left my office.

But her comment about my flowers reminds me of how fickle our lives can be. We can feel we are at the top of our game one day and totally down in the dumps the next. Continue reading →

There are surprises you like (birthday gifts, flowers, fun snapchats) and others you don’t.

Every day early in the morning, when I drive back from taking my darling wife to work, I see a woman and her 2 little boys walking to school. She usually has little white headphones in her ears as she walks with her tots.

Last Monday, as usual, they were taking their long walk obviously unaware that school was closed for the week! Had she forgotten it was the first day of spring break? What plans did she have for that day that were going to have to be cancelled? What was her reaction when she saw the sign (above pic)? I almost turned around after I passed them by just to see the priceless expression on their faces. The kids were probably screaming with joy while she scrambled in fear about what to do with them for the day and for the week… just guessing.

The Bible emphatically says that Jesus is coming soon. Will you be pleasantly surprised at His arrival or shocked and troubled by it all? Continue reading →

I was at a farm with a friend recently. As he began to round up the geese they became extremely loud and aggressive; as you can tell that last goose in the picture was seriously honking and letting me have it.

This loud commotion made me think of the Middle East brouhaha (cool synonym I found for noise). That area is a constant hot-stove of conflict! And, after America rained some tomahawks on a Syrian base for their forbidden use of chemical weapons, and after Russia and Iran threatened us not to use that force again, people (especially us Christians) started thinking about Jesus’ return to earth one day. Continue reading →

My birthday (one of many) was last week. And the volunteer crew that cleans the buildings in our property every week surprised me with their version of a birthday cake. They lit donuts on fire… I couldn’t have been happier. I felt so special!

Being favored is about that, about being singled out so a person can feel privileged and blessed.

You may think, Well, getting a birthday cake with candles is what’s supposed to happen when you have a birthday. But I say, “Not necessarily, not if people don’t like you.” You get zero, zilch, nada on your special day if you’re not loved and a lump of coal at Christmas. Being cherished is definitely a prerequisite for getting donuts and candles. It’s all in how you look at it.

What if I told you that the reason many good things happen is because God favors those He loves? If I asked you to stop reading so you can write 3 quick distinct instances of God’s recent favor on your life, would you be able to jot them down right away?

Life is about perspective. Continue reading →