“Jerry, my life has fallen apart,” the young man told me, using language too colorful for this blog.  As he went on to tell me about the situation in which he found himself, I felt sad for him. He is… Continue reading

I’m a NE Patriots fan. The Pats win often. Many know about their outstanding quarterback named Brady, their phenomenal coach named Belicheck, and their tight end named Gronk! What could those stars do without 50 other people, coaches and players,… Continue reading

Beauty and blessing … those two words captured my thoughts while driving past the fields where tall stalks of corn rustled in the wind, ears heavy with kernels of grain, ready for harvest. Those fields are evidence of investment and… Continue reading

Our church building has a high ceiling, 40 feet at the peak. That wooden structure is beautiful during the day. When darkness falls and the lights are turned off, it can be frightening. I know every corner in that sanctuary,… Continue reading

The young man told me that he wanted to be sober, that he really loved his family, that he hated the person he became when he was drunk.  And yet, alcohol controls him. He craves it, plans his life around… Continue reading

Did you know that many fruits are picked green so that they can be shipped without as much spoilage? Prior to putting them on display some are artificially ripened. Bananas and tomatoes, for example, are exposed to ethylene gas to… Continue reading

  Twice this past week I was called about marriages that had run into difficulty. Misunderstandings and missed expectations were the garden in which bitterness and brokenness had taken root. People once in love told me that they were ending… Continue reading

A man visited our little church when I was a teen and the song he sang that day has stuck in my head. I can hear his gravely voice singing, “’Til the storm passes over, ‘til the thunder rolls no… Continue reading

“Oh, God.” The words were a sigh of my soul, yet they were a prayer from my heart that looked to Him for strength. Sometimes our deepest prayers are those that are simplest, almost wordless. Ever see two people deeply… Continue reading

“I’ll give you this,” he said to me, “you are a ‘finisher.’”  His words were a compliment, noting my willingness to hang with difficult tasks until I saw them to completion. Others have seen the same trait of determination in… Continue reading