John 5:1-9 This snippet from Jesus' earthly ministry is so full of life-lessons that with each reading I see things I never saw before. Today I focus on the odd question Jesus asked the paralyzed man. "Do you want to get well?" The answer seems obvious at first. Of course he wants to be well. << MORE >>

During my morning prayer time one Thanksgiving, instead of my usual litany of requests I thanked God for His generosity during the previous year, naming each blessing as I thought of it. << MORE >>

Want to be inspired and encouraged to live out your faith in the world you inhabit between Sundays? Meet Rod Cook--successful contractor, husband, father, relatively new Christian, recovering addict/alcoholic. God is using his skills and abilities, including his brokenness, to reach souls for eternity. When that still small voice called him, Rod said , "Yes." << MORE >>

With temperatures still in the 90s, most Calavares County residents aren't dragging sweaters out of storage or skipping out for walks in the crisp cool air. Such high temperatures will not coax color changes in the trees nor make leaves fall from branches. But according to the calendar, fall 2009 has arrived and one of these days we'll feel it in the air. Let's take a moment to ponder this incredible season. << MORE >>

Have you ever done something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but turned out to be really stupid? Well I did. And guess what happened?<< MORE >>

I love my grandchildren. I do. Mostly they are full of curiosity, a bit of mischief, and much laughter. However, after two weeks with the three oldest ones(fourteen, ten, and seven), I discovered something very unlovable about them: no matter what I gave them, where I took them, or how hard I tried to cater to their every whim, it was never enough.<< MORE >>

Michael Jackson's memorial service has been thoroughly reported and dissected. I watched it live and intermittently all through the day yesterday. Today, it's still news. I appreciated the atmosphere of hope that pervaded the service. But where is Michael Jackson today? Does he stand outside the Pearly Gates? Or has he been embraced by his Savior?<< MORE >>

I have the summertime blues. Do you? I think it must be a common problem or there wouldn't be songs written about it. I always get them when summer rolls around. I think it's because my comfortable routine has been disturbed and I have too much free time on my hands (translation, not enough structure).<< MORE >>

I sat through a three hour funeral yesterday and left with the sense that much more could have been said. Tim Foster was a true American hero: a gentleman in a world of rudeness, a man who lived his convicetions and touched many lives as he rode life's trail. You won't see notice of his death announced on the evening news, hear celebrities eulogizing him, or watch a biography of his life. Why do we so often overlook those among us who edify us just by being themselves? << MORE >>

"The day after the Passover, the very day, they ate some of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain. The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan." Joshua 5:11-12<< MORE >>