The wonder of children…is their sense of wonder. At three years of age, Lucy is full of wonder. But the Christmas season has a way of drawing it out, like nothing else. Along with her three siblings, Lucy was intrigued with the idea of visiting a live nativity. The Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church of Jacksonville, Florida does it up big. Think 8,000 square feet of big! Think thousands of visitors walking about the streets of a recreated city of Bethlehem—some walls towering 20 feet in the air. Don't be frightened off by all the yelling Hear the sounds of the…
Go Tell it on the Mountain
He is every teacher's nightmare—the pain of the preschool, according to my wife, Diana. Just look for the boy grabbing toys away from others. Or shoving kids in line. Or hitting the child that ticks him off. That's Garrett. He plays too rough. Talks too loud. Cares too little about anyone or anything other than himself. Having heard so many stories about Garrett, I was most interested in meeting the little tyke as I showed up with my camera bag. Like Herding Cats My wife has a rich tradition of taking a Christmas class photo in front of a floor-to-ceiling…
Outrageous Gift Giving
It's the one last Christmas gift he invites her to open. It’s a small box. Inside, a key. It goes with the (CUE THE MUSIC) Lexus sitting in their driveway. The one with the massive red bow on top. She gives him a look, then a kiss (MUSIC SWELLS), and they roar off down the road happily ever after as the voice-over invites us to get in on the gift giving. Who DOES this? Am I the only one watching these commercials wondering, “Who DOES this?! Who gives their wife or husband a Lexus or Lincoln MKZ as a Christmas…
Rain Brings Out the Fragrance
It was just a small pine bough there on the sidewalk. But I was obliged to pick it up and take it to my office. I have always loved the smell, the look—even the feel of pine trees. It must go back to my childhood at Christmastime. To this day, the smell of a pine tree brings back so many happy memories, and whenever I pass by a Christmas tree lot, I like to stand there and just sniff the air. My favorite restaurant in the entire world is called White Pines and at home you’ll find a soap…
Why I Can’t Hit the Delete Key
Confession. I keep some contact names in my Outlook address book even after they have passed away. A former boss. A friend. I just can’t bring myself to delete their names. For example, there’s this guy I met in the pulpit of a church in Romania. It was one of the first times I ever preached in Ploiesti, the oil producing town an hour north of Bucharest. Stefan (not his real name) stood next to me and translated the message with remarkable ease—despite my rookie ways. He Never Complained Stefan was not a large man, but he had a huge…
Thanksgiving–Anywhere!
They came from entirely dissimilar cultures. They gathered from opposite sides of the ocean. They spoke languages different from each other. Yet they sat down and enjoyed each other’s company, getting to know each other over a Thanksgiving dinner together. Something More Current You are perhaps envisioning the Massachusetts meal we know today as the first Thanksgiving. Yet I have in mind something much more current. I'm thinking of a series of “Thanksgiving meals” we shared days ago in Sofia, Bulgaria at Moody Radio’s Global Partners Training. More than a hundred Christian media professionals gathered from nearly a…
Eyes
Interesting Windows They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. If that’s true, there are some mighty interesting windows out there in God's animal kingdom. Take, for example, the giant squid. Most animals’ eyes are smaller than oranges. But—try to picture this–a giant squid's eye is larger than your head! Goat’s eyes are not nearly as large, of course. But they do have a unique feature. Their pupils are rectangular shaped. This means they can see a panoramic view of 320-340 degrees—and can almost see behind themselves. Seeing Behind You Seeing a lot is one thing. But…
What READERS are saying…
If you could live your life over again, what would you do less of? Here's what Thursday Thought readers have told me: Ron wrote, “I think I would invest less in people and spend more time in relationship with the Lord of the universe. Not that there is anything at all wrong investing in people. Just that looking back, I haven't been too successful at it.” Russ told me, “I would work less…be less concerned about work…and spend more time with my wife and kids! Work will always be there. Kids grow up and leave. Age brings potential limitations. Enjoy…
Election Predictions
An Unguarded Moment For months now, Americans have been pushed, polled and prodded with political talk. We've been blasted with TV ads, blistered by web coverage and broadsided by office talk. We've watched debates, had debates of our own and the election is nearly upon us. In an unguarded moment, I made the decision to go out on a limb and make some very specific election predictions. With full awareness that some future “fact checker” may wish to hold me accountable, I stand by my claim that these insights are given with 100% certainty. Prediction #1 On Wednesday,…
What Would You Do More Of?
The idea was doomed from the start. In a well-intentioned attempt at physical fitness, I agreed to play racquetball with my son, Tim, during my lunch break. Though I love the sport, it (apparently) no longer loves me. Tim and I discussed the fact that he is about half my age. We agreed we’d both “take it easy” and play “just a little bit.” Five weeks afterward, my throbbing back still reminded me I shouldn’t have even attempted playing “just a game or two.” It’s one thing to overdo it in sports, but what about the rest of life?…