Devotions

Enjoy Rev. Mettey’s Writings from Throughout the Years

Reverend Wendell Mettey wrote these Katamanthano devotions over a number of years. Katamanthano is a Greek word, which appears in the Greek New Testament just one time. Jesus used it when pointing to a nearby field, saying, “KATAMANTHANO the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin: and yet I tell you Solomon in all of his glory was not arrayed like one of these” (Matt. 6:28-29).

Katamanthano is usually given the English translation of consider. However its literal translation is “to observe well, notice carefully, learn thoroughly, CONSIDER.”

To Jesus, God spoke to people not through a distant star or through some esoteric religion, nor were his words the exclusive property of the learned or the holy. The God of Jesus spoke through the simple things, the ordinary daily happenings of life

Rev. Wendell Mettey

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Turning Our Sorrow into Joy

One day, our little boy found his mother in a somewhat pensive mood. Sensing this he asked, “Mommy, what’s the matter?”“Oh nothing,” she replied, forcing a smile, “Just a little […]

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He's Still Calling Us

I first arrived in Nicaragua during the 1990 elections. While the politicians were out making campaign promises, there was still fierce fighting taking place up north. Soldiers were everywhere; mostly […]

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Shoes for John

He lives in South Dakota where the summers are short and hot, and the winters are long and cold. Snow piles up to many feet, making travel difficult and dangerous. […]

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When Life is Churning Away

One of the joys I used to find in running around Sharon Woods Lake was seeing the many ducks and geese swimming about. A favorite pastime of many folks is […]

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The Least of These

A dirt courtyard floor and a worn thin mat was his resting place. The skin on his feet was cracked and calloused, no doubt from years of wandering shoeless. He […]

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A Sandbox

We stopped at a roadside park. We got out of our car so we could get a better look at the lake. On our way, I noticed some children playing […]

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The Wisdom of Knowing the Difference

There is a train trestle which crosses over a road I frequently travel. The clearance of the train trestle is clearly marked: 12 feet 3 inches. In a three year […]

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Our Own Private Rainbows

A round bit of crystal with a small stand to hold it erect. A gift from a friend. It sits upon my desk for all to see. Upon it is […]

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Moisture-Rich Eyes

“Are your eyes tired and irritated…do they feel strained …?” The commercial coming over the car radio continued, “…then perhaps you have moisture poor eyes.” CONSIDER “moisture poor” eyes and […]

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Drown Proof

It was the final day of swim class. Parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters stood around the pool and watched with great pride as the children demonstrated what they had learned. […]

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No, Instead Call the Love Squad

“Call the Bomb Squad!” screamed the woman after coming across a strange looking package. Ever so carefully the package was carried away to be blown up. Then it made a […]

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Step Right Up

We have had it for a long time. We have gotten on and off of it more times than I can remember. The condition it is in, I do believe, […]

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Oh God, So Great is Thy Power

A house, once a home where people lived. A front porch, where people sat and visited with neighbors. A yard, where children played and trees and bushes were planted. Empty […]

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Blind Crayfish

Our guide stopped and shined his light onto one of the ponds in the cave. There, jetting through the water were some strange creatures. We all huddled around the pond […]

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A Still, Small Voice

While making my way though the narrow downtown streets of Pittsburgh, I saw on a nearby street corner a crowd of people waiting to cross. Approaching the corner was a […]

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A Sandbox or Weedbox?

It was once the center of much activity, a meeting place for the neighborhood children. Sometimes they would gather to play in it, building houses, forts and roads for their […]

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A Fish Story

“There it is,” yelled a boy perched high upon the pier. An exhausting struggle by the fisherman and his fish was coming to an end. The fish surfaced and for […]

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A Faded Message

The man pulled up to the stop sign. With the engine still running, he opened the door, hurried over to a telephone pole, stapled something on it, rushed back to […]

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A Dandelion Growing in Good Soil

I reached down and pulled from my garden something which grows abundantly in Cincinnati: a dandelion. This pesky little plant – flower to some, weed to most – is difficult […]

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Chance or Providence

I suppose the events in our lives can be explained as happening by chance or by providence. As a people of faith we believe that life is not just the […]

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Blossoms of Nicaragua

“I can take it down now,” he said with the chainsaw in his hand, “or you can let the wind do it, in which case, it’ll probably end up on […]

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A Daily Reminder

I unfolded the morning newspaper and placed it next to my bowl of cereal, teaming with fresh fruit. It was supposed to be a quiet breakfast and a few moments […]

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With God

One day I heard someone say, “Yes, it is true. With God all things are possible. But, we need to realize, God does not choose to do all things!” So […]

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Panyagua

“Pan-y-agua,” he said, slowly enunciating each syllable. “Me llamo es Panyagua (my name is Panyagua),” he repeated, tapping his chest with the handle of his paint brush. Painter by trade […]

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One Lone Life

Slowly I entered the cholera ward. The stories I had read of the disease wiping out entire populations did not comfort me. Knowing that cholera, if caught in time, was […]

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Nothing I Have Made is Unclean

One morning, while in Nicaragua, our cars stopped in front of a freshly painted building. We had been told this was a home for mentally disabled and severely crippled children. […]

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I Was Sick

I raised my camera only to lower it. “I cannot,” I sighed and shook my head. “I cannot intrude on this poor man’s grief or his child’s pain.” “But you […]

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Barbed-Wire Memories

The laughter of children at play filled the air. We were visiting Padre Fabreto’s Home for Abandoned Children and our mission team members were enjoying every moment of their visit. […]

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United or Untied

One of the nuisances of the language disorder call dyslexia is, first of all, trying to spell dyslexia. Another is letter reversals. It can make for some most interesting words […]

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The Incredible Weed

We spray it. We pull it. We curse it. We do all we can to get rid of it but it is always there. Despite all our efforts, it keeps […]

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The Honey Bee and the Gadfly

The honey bee and the gadfly – both are just as active, but not nearly as productive. First, there is the honeybee. It carries a honey sac. In order to […]

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The End of the Movie

“…get understanding…” (Proverbs 4:5) I walked in on the end of a movie once and was amazed at the audience’s reaction to what was taking place on the screen. The […]

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Handwriting on the Wall

A young friend came up to me one Sunday after morning worship and began telling me about a problem she was having at school. I listened rather impatiently and gave […]

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Go On, Make My Day

The elevator doors opened. Her head down, arms loaded down and hanging down around her neck was one of those electronic gismos hospital people carry around with them. Apparently she […]

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Even Our Hurt Hands

Each night at dinner we join hands around the table for prayer. Several days ago, Clare, my youngest, said, “Oh Timmy,” as she pulled her hand away from her brother […]

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Do Your Own Sweeping

Timmy was attempting to get the cereal down from the top shelf. His foot slipped and down came the box and its contents, hundreds of Cheerios went dancing across the […]

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Digital Time

My mornings are greeted with a number of sights and sounds: the gentle rays of the rising sun filtering through our bedroom curtains; the search by one of our children […]

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A Dumpster

One day while driving home I came upon a most unusual and peculiar sight, to say the least. There in the driveway of a beautiful and expensive house was a […]

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Consider the Daffodils

They swayed to and from in the gentle spring breeze, their yellow beauty a delight to each passing motorist. They had pushed up through the thawing sod unnoticed, and blossomed […]

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Who Has Moved?

People covered their eyes and ran for shelter. Cars came to a screeching halt. An eerie silence fell upon the city. Slowly the people emerged from their places of hiding. […]

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The Value Within

There they stood. Each tightly clutched their boxes, bags, containers of all kinds filled with silver coins, soon to be redeemed for 2000% over their face value. Their three hour […]

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Something You Can Keep Around Here

Red faced and covered with snow, Timmy opened his small hand and revealed a snowball he had brought into the house with him. “I’m going to keep this!” he announced […]

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Growing in the Shade

“Lazarus, Come out.” (John 11:43) I was watching a gardening show on television. A viewer sent in the following question: “I have a little plot of ground, but it is […]

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Crowds or Persons

I mentioned one Sunday in the morning message that the one thing Jesus could not do was see a crowd. After the service, someone asked me to explain that a […]

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Company Policy

One Sunday afternoon I was standing in the checkout lane of a department store. The man ahead of me pointed out to the cashier that she had overcharged him. Reviewing […]

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Cheerleading Before Empty Stands

All the commotion surrounding each year’s Super Bowl game reminds me of a Pee-wee football game I watched one time. Both teams were colorfully dressed and ran their plays with […]

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Changing the Channel

One day while I was watching television I accidentally brought in an out-of-town station. After considerable effort I managed to bring in a reasonably good picture. The picture kept fading […]

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Buzz, Buzz

In my car, as in most cars, it doesn’t make any difference whether you believe in seatbelts or not. You have to wear them or a loud and annoying buzzer […]

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An Unbroken Melody of Faith

One of the musical highlights of the Ohio Baptist Convention was the playing of a marimba. Much like the xylophone, the marimba is a “percussion instrument consisting of a series […]

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An Optical Illusion

And taking the five loaves and the two fish he looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples, and the disciples gave them […]

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A Theological Dilemma

When my son, Aaron, was seven years old, he was confronted with his first real theological dilemma. He had lost another tooth and was frantically searching the linen closet for […]

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A Perfect Fit

So that we may no longer be children,tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up […]

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Dealing with Failure

Jesus had a lot to say about failure and how to deal with it. CONSIDER how Jesus told His disciples that “whenever you enter a town, and they do not […]

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A Beautiful Sight

One day I received a note from an older friend. It came at a time in my life when everything seemed to have fallen apart. It was a time of […]

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30 Seconds to Show Time

In 1982, soul singer Teddy Pendergrass was in an automobile accident which left him paralyzed. One of the good things to come from the accident said the entertainer is, “It […]

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The Flea

Two fleas hopped out to the curb on their way to the “flea market” to do some shopping. One flea looked at the other and said, “Shall we walk or […]

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Staying Plugged In

One year, the unseasonable warm weather gave me the opportunity to finally wash my car. One of the items needed was a long extension cord for the vacuum cleaner and […]

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Spiritual Food

A young woman said during a group discussion, “The reason I stopped going to my church is because I was not getting spiritually fed.” Being spiritually fed is vital to […]

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Sorry, Non-Refundable

Standing in line before us were two little boys. Their arms were loaded down with empty soft drink bottles, and their hands were skillfully clutching onto what must have been […]

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Propped Up

I have been watching these past several weeks, as I drive to the church, the construction of a building of Montgomery Road. From the first day that the heavy equipment […]

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No Time to Pray

It was one of those days filled to overflowing with meetings, appointments, and a sundry of other things making the twenty-four hour day about twenty hours too short. Coming home […]

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Move Over

It was one of those snowy, sub-zero, January days. We were out driving when all of a sudden we found ourselves bumper to bumper with another car. There was snow […]

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Lower Your Wrecking Cost

There are many reasons why driving behind a truck is not a real treat. Two which come to mind: on city streets they are slow, and secondly, you can’t see […]

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Lost and Found

Something that always amazes me and brings to my overly orderly mind a measure of pleasure is seeing those white and green plastic bags, bulging with trash, lining the interstates […]

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Just a Chirp Away

Mom and Dad penguin do have their hands full when old Mr. Stork decides to pay them a visit. First, their young come by way of egg, which has to […]

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It Does Make a Difference

The country band was playing, the music blaring and these words came over the speakers, “…there’s a little bit of bad in every good….there’s a little bit of wrong in […]

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A Precious Treasure

I attended a meeting and the subject of wills came up. A lawyer at the meeting said that it’s usually the one who does the most for someone who gets […]

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The End of the Driveway

CONSIDER how I saw three men the other day, Standing at the end of a driveway.Supervising the road work being done- Trucks, equipment, asphalt by the ton. No hard hats […]

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Timing is So Important

When I was a boy, we called them seventeen year locusts. I believe their scientific name is cicada. Regardless, every seventeen years they tunnel up through the ground, crawl upon […]

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The Abundant Life

It was a beautiful and quite unusual red and yellow tulip which blossomed anew each spring in my front yard. I not only admired its beauty but also appreciated its […]

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Where the Water Goes

It lasted but a few seconds, this brief encounter I had, and yet it lingers still in my mind. I suspect it will continue to visit me in the years […]

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Standing Together

“If you are traveling West in the morning, you may run into some snow,” said the TV weatherman. “Gee, I’m glad I’m going North,” I thought as I climbed into […]

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Spiritual Nourishment

“Well, another one bites the dust,” said a nearby parent. “Gee, that’s two in two weeks.” What she was referring to were members of the Cincinnati Boy Choir becoming faint […]

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Settling on the Steps of the Courthouse

“When can we get together?” I asked my friend who is an attorney. “Well,” he replied, looking at his appointment book, “we can meet on Tuesday.” “Tuesday?” I questioned, “I […]

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Please Remove Your Cleats

Taking an early morning walk, I came upon a restaurant near a golf course. Anticipating patrons taking a break between nines, the owner had put this sign above the entrance: […]

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People Also Get Stained

It was billed as the great “stain mystery” of the Bronx. Residents of the co-op City housing complex complained to the manager of this 35 high rise building complex that […]

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A Lost Person's Best Friend

I haven’t been in a toy store for some time. So it was rather nice and a bit nostalgic to be in one the other day. It was fascinating to […]

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One Small Cedar

The morning sun sparkled on the calm water like a thousand diamonds. Surrounded by towering mountains, each blanketed with countless trees, all adorned with their spring foliage, we sat quietly […]

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Loved Into the Hearts of Others

He was a person who always kept his distance from me. Oh, he was polite and we got along all right, but my attempts to become closer were always rebuffed. […]

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Be an All-Weather Pilot

A friend was recently relating his exploits as a pilot. His most memorable flight was an encounter with a thunderstorm over Lake Erie. Another was an attempt to fly over […]

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A Walk in the Sunlight

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness […]

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A Conversation

But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26) One day I heard someone say, “Yes, […]

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A Better Way

“…and let me show you a more excellent way.” (1 Corinthians 12:31) The bridge was out. We needed to find another way home. A friend gave us directions. He said […]

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Jesus, the Great Power

The day finally came. My teenage daughter Clare would have her braces removed. She had been looking forward to this day since the first day her braces were put on. […]

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It's in the Heart

he pastor said to the congregation, “We are going to take a silent offering right now. If you are going to put any change in the offering plate – so […]

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He Knows, He Knows

“I cried myself to sleep again last night,” she told me. Her problem would not go away despite all her efforts to resolve it. It was out of her control […]

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From Annuals to Perennials

“These right here,” I said, pointing to a tray of brightly colored flowers. “Dianthus,” replied the man working at the nursery. “What about them?” he asked. “Are they annuals or […]

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Construction Areas

I usually have several thoughts buzzing in my head that I share with you in this space. I see, hear, or observe something that gets me thinking; thus “just thinking.” […]

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An Inedible Prize

It is called the Tarpon Capital of the World. A relatively small strait of water running from the Gulf of Mexico where tarpon migrate each year to spawn. Tarpon season […]

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Which God Do You Follow

Three young men were arguing the existence of God. One young man was an avowed atheist, another a believer and the other didn’t really care, some would call him an […]

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Blooming Together

When I was a boy, we called them “helicopters”. They are the seeds from maple trees. Released in the spring, they whirl their way to the ground or find their […]

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Preach Me Something

“Do you think you can go on the field trip with Aaron’s class?” My wife asked me one afternoon. “They are going to the planetarium. I think it would be […]

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Pass the Tissue

The heart pumps enough blood in an average lifetime to fill 13 super tankers, each holding one million barrels. Our stomachs produce the equivalent of a new stomach lining every […]

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Keeping Your Valuables Safe

Mighty trees were pushed over like matchsticks. Homes had planks placed beneath their foundations and hauled away. Mountains of earth and massive chunks of concrete were moved like children’s building […]

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A New Song

“Mom,” complained Tim, “Aaron is bothering us.” “Yeah,” added Clare, “I can’t read with him making that noise.” “Aaron,” said mother, “the car is just too small. Please sing to […]

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A Row of Begonias

We planted a row of begonias in a flower box on our front porch. We had enough room for eight plants if we spaced them properly. A few weeks later […]

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Look Beyond This Point

The other day while eating at a restaurant, I happened to notice a sign on the door leading into the kitchen that read: LOOK BEYOND THIS POINT. Beneath this sign […]

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It's Coming Your Way

I was talking on the phone with a friend from Indiana. “Why are you so cheerful this morning?” I asked him. “You can’t be anything else on a bright, beautiful […]

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Postage Guaranteed

I found something the other day. Actually, I found three things: a set of keys, a little metal tag and a message from God. Reaching into my coat pocket I […]

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No One Showed Me

When St Francis of Assisi died, they made him a saint; while he lived they severely criticized him. Crude, idiotic and ridiculous were some the words they used to describe […]

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The Promise of Life

As we were waiting in line for the elevator in a retirement home where we were visiting with a friend, my 3 month old son was asleep in his mother’s […]

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Knowing the Sender

The other day I accidentally threw away a letter before I read it, but I fortunately had saved the envelope. On the envelope was the sender’s return address, so I […]

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Is Today Tomorrow?

“Daddy, when are we leaving on vacation?” my daughter asked. “Tomorrow,” I replied. Very early the next morning she came into my bedroom and softly rubbed my cheek until I […]

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The Lord is With Us

“Last summer, we were traveling out West,” a friend told me. “We had just crossed the desert when the fan belt of our car broke. What would we have done […]

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The Right Way, but the Wrong Stop

The light flashed and the bell sounded. The elevator doors opened and I got on. Two cheerful passengers greeted me, and we quickly engaged in conversation about subjects of mutual […]

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Listening With Our Knees

I read a bit of trivia the other day: “The grasshopper’s ears are located on its knees.” After reading that, I began to CONSIDER what a mix-up this world would […]

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Watching Eyes

Approaching my grandmother’s house I could see her sitting in her favorite chair. Now this was one of those overstuffed chairs that seem to swallow you up when you sit […]

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Consider a Simple Answer

Over my car radio came this question, “How many grooves does a record have?” Caller after caller flooded the radio station with answers. One caller said that a record had […]

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Germinating the Seed Within Us

One early spring, as I tilled my garden, I added several bags of nutrients to the soil. A busy schedule and a lot of rain kept me from doing any […]

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Beautiful Music

When I was in high school I used to play bassoon in the school orchestra. Now the bassoon, for those of you that don’t know, looks as funny as its […]

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Be Good

While walking the mall after Christmas, I came upon the place where the children had been going to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus. It was all closed up […]

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A Worser Day

Alex is four years old. A routine physical exam showed a kidney stone. Further testing showed that he would have to have kidney surgery. A few days before the surgery, […]

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"Gosh, We Were Just Being Brothers."

A mother came upon what looked to her like a “knock down, drag out brawl” between her two sons. “What are you two doing? Get up from there before someone […]

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Every Litter Bit Helps

Turning into the church parking lot, I saw him running along with bag in hand. He would run a few steps, stop, bend over, pick something up, stuff it into […]

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The Home Run

After a season of riding the bench, it was finally little Bobby’s chance to get into the game. It was the last inning and his team was leading 23-2. “If […]

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The Greater Power

Oh, the great power this man possessed,Raised hands he calmed the tempest. At Mom’s request, water into wineIn Galilee, demons to swine. A touch from His hand, sight to the […]

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Praying for Those Who Kick You in the Shins

One day while feeling rather virtuous I CONSIDERED praying for “mine enemies” as Jesus told His disciples to do. There was one enemy in particular that I began to pray […]

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The Red Delicious Within Us

In 1872 Joseph Hiatt was walking in his apple orchard. There at his feet next to his “Yellow Bellflower” apple tree was a little sprout coming up from the ground. […]

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The Groans of Others

On a popular television quiz show the contestants are asked to complete a sentence the way they believe a panel of celebrities would. After one contestant completed the sentence given […]

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Just Whistle While You Live

One day, I was listening to a friend talk about how busy he was. There was simply not enough hours in the day to do all that needed to be […]

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A Spider's Web

My heart was heavy laden. I went out to be alone with God and to seek His council. It was dusk. Tilting the Bible to catch the fading light, I […]

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An Oasis or a Desert

I read an article that was most thought provoking. It was about the desert in Sudan. The article stated that “the people of the Sudan lived in fear of a […]

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They or We

During a church dinner we discovered that our table did not have any ketchup. Someone familiar with the church said that there was some in the kitchen and he would […]

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Making Ends Meet with God

The city of Chicago started on their side, the state of Illinois from theirs. Across the street from each other, the idea was to connect City Hall with the State […]

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The Littlest Measuring Spoon

One day I watched as my youngest son, Aaron, climbed upon a kitchen chair, pulled open a drawer and proceeded to get out his mother’s measuring spoons to play with […]

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A 50-lb. Bag

It was a combination of several factors: the weather, being away, but primarily, it was the condition of the soil. Last year’s garden was the worst of my “gardening days.” […]

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The Richest Little Girl in Town

A minister friend of mine tells about a trip to the bank he made with his daughter when she was just barely able to see over the counter. There on […]

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Neither "Too Bad" Nor "Too Good"

Folks in retirement facilities are most creative in decorating their front doors. From handmade wreathes to colorful framed messages, you can get a good look at a person by what […]

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Turning a Phrase

They call it “turning a phrase.” Two of the most popular are: “Plan your work and work your plan.” And “When the going gets tough, the . . . .” […]

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The Easter Story

Ten. . . Nine. . . Eight. . . The U.S. is going to win. . . The U.S. is going to win. . . Five. . . Four. . […]

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The First Customer of the Day

“Oh no” I moaned, standing in front of the open refrigerator. “No milk!” Next the cabinet, “no cereal!” A look at the fruit basket on the table. . . “No […]

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Cuddlers

They are called “Cuddlers.” Their job: “to hold closely and lovingly in ones arms or lap.” Whom do they cuddle? The newborn babies, especially the premature babies, in hospital nurseries. […]

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A Matter of Looking

He had the reputation of being the best four leaf clover hunter in the neighborhood. It was incredible the way he could find those things! One day we were walking […]

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Upon His Shoulders

She tip-toed. She stretched. She sighed as she dropped her arms to her sides. She just could not reach the heavy box of baby formula on the top shelf. “Well […]

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The Bigger it is, the Harder to Turn Around

As I turned the bend in the road, I thought at first, there was an accident up ahead. A number of cars were stopped and a large, a very large […]

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No More People Food

She still wags her tail and sits attentively while we eat, but she doesn’t get any “people food” anymore. She never did get very much, but what she did get, […]

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No Check-List Love

After visiting a dear bedridden friend, the ailing friend said, “I thank you so much for coming by to see me. Your visit has meant so much to me. I […]

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Prayer... Being Imprinted by God

There are billions of them. They differ in thousands of ways: big ones, tiny ones; some which prefer water, others air. Almost all can fly, yet many cannot. Most are […]

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We are Not Keeping Track of You

Mildred leaned forward in her pew and touched the shoulder of Frances sitting ahead of her. “Oh hi, Mildred. It’s good to see you,” said Frances. “It’s been a long […]

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Dark is Never Cheap

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge declares that he loves the dark because “dark is cheap.” While I hate to admit it, Scrooge is right. Think of it. […]

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First Year They Sleep

Years ago, I visited an older parishioner of mine. While sitting and talking at her kitchen table, I looked out the window and noticed row after row of peonies with […]

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The Message and the Messenger

A pastor friend of mine was going over his message, preparing for Sunday worship. His daughter was busy at a computer just outside of his home office. Slowly the door […]

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The Measure of a Great Man

“Here he is folks,” said the emcee, “a truly great man. A man who does not remind you of someone else.” That was a clever introduction, but hardly a good […]

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Gingerbread

I recently overheard one of our young volunteers praying before lunch. “God is great. God is good. And we thank Him for our food. By His hands we are fed. […]

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Coming Home

A friend recently took his family on a three-week long vacation. They had no sooner begun when his five year old daughter said, “When are we going home?” Throughout the […]

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Sparrows in the Garden

A friend was talking to me from his sickbed. He was depressed. His problems seemed insurmountable. His health, his finances, he could not find one bright nor even the faintest […]

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Two Bird Locked in Combat

I watched one day as two birds, locked in mortal combat, came crashing to the ground. They hit with a thud! One managed to fly away, noticeably wounded. The other […]

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A Time of Need

During a severe winter I saw a sign posted at the entrance of a store: WE HAVE NO SALT, SNOW SHOVELS, OR SLEDS. While I was trying rather unsuccessfully to […]

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The Rosebush

She had something she wanted to show me. She took me by the arm and led me away. After a brief walk she tugged at my arm and we stopped. […]

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Dirty Tears

Her face bore the evidence of her crime. She was covered from hairline to neck with the rich, dark soil from the flower bed. She and her brother had squared […]

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A Hug

It is something special to see the many volunteers who come to help out at Matthew 25: Ministries. One day I saw a group of children and their chaperones working […]

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A Note from God

My four year old granddaughter called me early one morning. “Boy, did I ever have a wonderful dream last night, Grandpa,” she said excitedly. “Oh, that’s nice!” I responded. “What […]

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A Sign

I have noticed on several occasions this sign which appears on the many levels of the city’s downtown underground garage: GARAGE IS MONITORED. IN EMERGENCY, STATE LOUDLY AND CLEARLY LOCATION […]

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Take This Message With You

I read in the morning news an interesting, yet rather pathetic story. It was about a man named Ken McAvoy who was dying of cancer. During the last months of […]

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A Time for Goodbye and Hello

They were bosom buddies – one a Baptist minister, the other a furry grey squirrel. A daily supply of nuts had won the minister his companionship and friendship. When the […]

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God Remembering Us

An old man shuffled in and took a seat next to me in an out-of-the-way booth. A waitress came over and said with a smile and a pat on the […]

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Hide and Go Seek

Our little granddaughter emerged from her bedroom after a five minute stay and said rather disappointedly, “Hey, how come you guys didn’t come and find me?” She had decided to […]

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Finding Strawberries

“Grandma! Grandpa! You won’t believe it! You won’t believe it!” yelled our six year old granddaughter as she ran into the house from the backyard. “You’ll never believe what happened!” […]

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A Throwaway Flashlight

We purchased one of those “throwaway” flashlights. It cost just a little more than a couple of new batteries. So when the light goes out, no fuss, no muss, no […]

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Standing in Our Own Shadow

The master craftsman was being assisted by his young, enthusiastic but inexperienced apprentice. The young apprentice was having considerable difficulty doing the task set before him. In frustration, he began […]

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The Price of Arguing

I read a news article about a man who parked his car in a marina parking lot. While he was gone, the river rose and completely engulfed his car. That […]

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Singing in the Darkness

I woke up and looked at the clock on my bedside table. Its red numbers shone 5:00 A.M. I lay in the stillness and listened to the quiet, but not […]

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Plugged In and Turned On

It happens to all public speakers from time to time. It happened to me one Sunday. My microphone was not turned on. Trying to explain the situation, I found myself […]

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Too Heavy To Bear

The mission: to climb to the top of the Amazon Mountains. The purpose: to find the beginning of the Great Amazon River. The explorer: Jean Michel Cousteau, eldest son of […]

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The Good News Procession

As a pastor, I rode in many funeral processions. On one such occasion, we had to travel the interstate. We were proceeding along when all of a sudden a car […]

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The Call to the Thirsty

It was the first warm day of a rainy, chilly spring. Taking advantage of the break in the weather, I went to work on a long list of rain delayed […]

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Oh How He Loves Us

I watched and listened unnoticed as a mother told her little girl not to get around the grill. As soon as the mother was out of sight, the little girl […]

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God's Night Light

Early one morning I quietly got out of bed. Trying not to disturb the others still fast asleep, I turned on a small night light. To my surprise the light […]

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Clapping: An Expression of Thanks

It was called a “moment of joyous participation.” It was the long awaited day little Katie received her artificial arm. Born without her left arm, Katie was unable to do […]

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A Chorus of Patriots

Soon the gun would sound and the Fighting Hunger race would begin. We were asked to join in and sing the National Anthem. Situated close to the starting line, I […]

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A Calm and Deep River

Our boat left the choppy, troubled waters of the lake and entered the smooth, calm waters of the river. As we rode along, the quiet water parted before us, our […]

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