I was born with some natural abilities. (Stunning good looks- jk) I have learned a few things and developed some talents along the way. Now, as much as I love to play basketball or surf, I’m not going to be a professional, that’s pretty...
I am part of a church that serves communion nearly every week. People like that. Its a part of the worship service that could be described as ‘a moment of dependence’. People may reflect on the suffering and sacrificial death of the Lord...
My children are uniquely different from one another. And certainly there are significant differences and distinctions between my sons and daughter. Today, people are having difficulty acknowledging the differences between men and women. I don’t...
I am a big advocate for preserving the individual freedoms we uniquely enjoy in the United States. I love that over time we have codified a number of civil rights that emanate from our inalienable rights. However, as a Christian, I am discovering...
I have some strengths and weaknesses too. I guess we all do. Some of the weaknesses people have are spiritual. They have not experienced the freedom available to them because of their previous beliefs and practices. In a superstitious way, some of...
I cannot imagine life without the companionship, partnership, and love of my wife. I love being married. Without her, I would fall into sinful lust for sure. So, the question of marriage was resolved over 35 years ago. Today, I see a growing group...
It seems like many people are powerless and stuck in many addictions, pain, and patterns of life that are detrimental to themselves and others around them. That’s sad. They have been mastered by sin, distraction or injury. I had an...
Remember in school when you didn’t like a subject… and you asked the teacher sarcastically- “when will I ever use this?” You might have been talking about algebra (by the way, I use math every day!) In my mind, I always...
Life is fun! You may wonder if Christians have fun or not? I used to wonder that. Let me assure you that following Christ is a ton of fun. It is a whole lot more too. Its profound purpose, relationship with God, a sense of miracle every day, and so...
We make a lot of judgments in life. Some of those are about other people. The Corinthian believers were not sure what to make of the Apostle Paul. The group of believers were divided, fleshly, and immature. Paul writes and says that their assessment...
I remember years ago, pastor Greg Laurie reminded us that “your body is a temple, not a playground”. Yes, we nodded. Then he added “until you are married, then its both!” Now that’s funny… and true. God is making...
There is a self deception that can occur when we idolize people. I really liked listening to and watching TV news commentator Bill O’Reilly. I watched The Factor, listened to his audiobooks (The Killing series), and Kaenan and I went to see...
I would like to think that as I get older I am still learning new things. Of course, I should take time to relearn what I once knew too. Much of what I know is just revealed in life and nature. These are the things any natural person can understand...
When I first heard about Jesus, I was confused and didn’t really understand the power within His story. I thought the idea of being crucified by His enemies meant that He had ‘lost” and anyone following Him was a loser too. Never...
My friend Mike said something many years ago that illustrates a profound problem and truth in Christianity. He said “Doug, do you know why Christian music bands can’t save the world?” I replied “No, Mike… why not...
I had a dream the other night that I was sharing my faith with a rather unhappy woman who was not a believer and (in the dream) was expressing her ardent opposition to God (even though she claimed to not believe in Him). I made a simple defense of...
I look around today and I see or hear about great problems, desperate and lost young people. Many lack resiliency and perseverance and hope. Why the Bible is not made available to every person is a great mystery to me. Of all the books I have read...
God has given us as believers a great deal of freedom. We can eat what we want, drink what we want, so long as our conscience is clear and the food is clean (not specifically prohibited). But, what matters more, my liberty or the soul of another...
I enjoyed some spicy sausage patties for breakfast today. I know some people are given dietary restrictions from their doctors (low sodium, etc.), others are prescribed what to eat and not eat by their religious traditions. This is an area that God...
Our world is changing faster than ever before. The forces of darkness and worldly philosophy are prevalent everywhere. But, so is the sanctifying influence of God. As Christians, we believe one day Jesus will return. Our race will be over. So, what...
My lovely bride and I will board a plane in about 24 hours to fly to the holy lands. We will be in Israel, the land of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. As a believer in Christ, I am thinking about the rich heritage I have been afforded by the Jewish...
Good things happen in life and very bad things do too. There are blessings and trials alike. Whether you are a believer or an unbeliever, you will experience similar joys and pains in this life. But, what do I know as believer that is so helpful and...
I feel close to God when I am in nature. If I am sitting in the lineup with my buddies at San O, bobbing up and down as waves pass under and looking at the horizon or the rugged cliff coastline- I sense Him and feel a sense of awe about God. Some...
I don’t like asking other people for help. Maybe its a bit of pride. I am kind of a DIY guy (Do It Yourself). There are some things in life we must do for ourselves. Right? Listen to music, hold the hand of your spouse as you walk along, enjoy...
The mega rock band The Police (with Sting) sang the hit song De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da- which sounds like a baby babbling. But the lyrics are actually fairly profound. “Poets, priests, and politicians, have words to thank for their positions...
I have a power in my life that once was not present. I have had some ability to resist certain temptations all my life. For whatever reason, I don’t tend to have an addictive personality. I realized some people are wired up with a proclivity...
I love the feeling of working hard and as a result being able to buy something special for my wife or family… even just paying my mortgage! Its the feeling of accomplishment, I guess. Getting what you deserve resonates with all of us. But...
I used to listen to KMET rock radio station as a teen. The DJs had different names for each day: WhooYa Monday, Titillating Tuesday, Humpday Wednesday, Champagne Payday Thursday (one of my favs)… I think in those years, many people got paid on...
I was teaching a new believers class yesterday at church. In the class I describe how Christians are ‘positionally’ righteous before God, because of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross. Simply said- God treats us as if we are as...
I came to faith in Christ at age eighteen. That didn’t make me perfect in word, thought and deed. But, something tremendous did happen- I was adopted into God’s forever family and I received His grace and forgiveness of sin, and I became...
I can still hear the echo in my head of my wife’s mom Mari, when frustrated, exclaim “Jiminy Cricket!” Jiminy Cricket is the sidekick friend of Pinocchio’s who also represents to some degree, his conscience. The name Jiminy...
I wonder and often worry about God’s favor and blessing upon my life. I am certainly blessed without deserving it. I’m not perfect, for sure. I make mistakes and I do what I myself do not approve, let alone failing to do all that God...
I can only remember one or two times that my dad was a bit ashamed of me. One was when I was cursing on the walkie talkies to my brothers. (you know junior high stuff), and then again when I was fighting, really fighting with my brother Jimbo. I...
I love that life has many journey’s. I enjoy going new places and taking on challenges. But, ultimately, all of our journeys will come to an end. For the apostle Paul, his many journeys ended in Rome and what God did through his life...
We’ve heard the saying “When in Rome, do as the Romans”, right? It general, it means to abandon your previous held morals and simply act like those around you. Compromising convictions is not a good way to live and certainly is not...
I love survivor stories that include some miraculous encounter with God or an angel who assures a praying and penitent person that they will be saved. The apostle Paul was one of those people more than once. Time and time again he was rescued from...
There is a song from 1969 by Tommy James and the Shondells called Crystal Blue Persuasion. It emphasizes love is the answer to the problems in our lives and the world. Few know the story behind it… James realized afterwards that the title fit...
My hibiscus flowers are all blooming right now! Yellow, Red, Orange, and more. You’ve heard the saying “bloom where you are planted”, right? And the idea of “go with the flow”! As Christians, God may take us to unusual...
Some people know quite a bit about God, but haven’t yet come to know God (in a personal way). I didn’t have either advantage growing up. But, now after coming to God through Jesus Christ, I can say that I certainly know much, much more...
There are real dangers in life. Sometimes we create our own by living foolishly or taking unwise risks or ‘thrill-seeking’. Then there are dangers that arise because we choose to follow God and express our faith. What can result is...
Recently Elon Musk bought a lot of Twitter stock. I wonder what he is up to? I love that in America we can say just about anything, anywhere. I can say something right, wrong, agreeable or disagreeable and most will defend my right to say it. And...
Sometimes I have bought a movie ticket and fallen asleep during the movie. Has that ever happened to you? I figure, “hey, I bought the ticket, I can watch or not watch”! I have the opportunity to teach and preach nearly every week. I am...
I remember in college hearing for the first time the term ‘herd poisoning’. The big idea was that as people we tend to not think very well for themselves when in big crowds. We do things that we otherwise wouldn’t do or approve. I...
One of my goals in life is to be ‘proficient in the Scriptures’. I had the opportunity to have some University education in the Bible. I will always be grateful for particular professors at Hope International University like Dr. Joe...
I didn’t have the advantage of growing up in church. Although my childhood was pretty dog gone great, that’s one advantage I lacked. I was curious about life, purpose, meaning, eternity, God, and the like, but there were plenty of other...
Our Constitutional rights matter. They are valuable to each individual. I just read that some people were awarded over $10,000,000 for the mistreatment by law enforcement officers while protesting. I am super sympathetic to the difficulty of the...
I recently returned from a mission trip with some pretty amazing people. We were meeting practical needs of people of the Texas-Mexico border and encouraging the ministry partners there. God did miracles and our faith was strengthened (see more at...
If following Jesus easy or hard? Yes! Its both. Most of us know that Jesus said “narrow is the way that leads to life, few there are that find it. And broad is the way that leads to destruction, many there are that go that way”. I have...
No one likes to be misjudged or persecuted. But, life brings disagreements between even those who were once likeminded. People see life from different perspectives or through different lenses. We hold values and priorities that can be contrary to...
Love doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rather rejoices in the truth. People sometimes rejoice over the wrong things. I hope I am not in that crowd. As the early church experienced persecution by the Roman government and particularly...