Devotions

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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: […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

“…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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 . . . .” […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]