Black Lives Matter – A Response
On May 25, 2020 a life was snuffed out in the state of Minnesota. A man created in God’s image was murdered on the streets of Minneapolis. He was not famous or rich or influential; he was an ordinary man. His murder was tragic, as all murders are. His name was George Floyd. The color of his skin was black; the color of his blood was red, the same as mine, the same as yours.
To Be Considered…Are We There Yet? When I was little and our family traveled, we were about a half hour into a 10 hour trip, when my two sisters and I would start asking the age-old question all parents get on a road trip…”are we there yet”? Sure enough, I’ve Read more…
“Fathers, do not exasperate your children. Instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Ephesians 6:4 The young boy was warming up for the middle school boys basketball game practicing foul shots, layups and shooting from around the top of the key. From the stands you Read more…
Last time we examined what it looked like for fathers to exasperate their children. We saw that harsh words, teasing that goes too far, and “playing games” with our children’s minds can easily discourage and exasperate our children. Our God tells us, as fathers, not to do this in Ephesians Read more…
Well, here we are on the threshold of a brand new year! It’s almost time to leave the old behind and start a new season of life. If you’re like most people, this past year has been quite a mixture of pain and sorrow, with a little boredom thrown in Read more…
For those of us who want to leave a godly legacy, grappling with and understanding the legacy we have received from our father is of utmost importance. Let me say at the outset that none of us have received a perfect legacy from our fathers. But the truth is that Read more…
One wall of my family’s camp at the lake attracts repeated attention. It is the history wall.Starting just a few feet off the floor are short, horizontal lines identified with a date and initials. They are the record of the growth of the Burns family. They are observations that run Read more…
I am a grandfather. People tell me I look plenty old enough to be a grandfather. I’m not sure how to take that, but it sure doesn’t stop me from enjoying that role as much as anything in my life, past or present. My grandchildren call me Papa and I Read more…
Christian parents are on a mission to make disciples. Fathers are the designated leaders of this mission, and it is not an easy task. It is impossible when attempted in ones own strength. Can you relate to this feeling?
If you squeeze a tube of Crest, you will get toothpaste. If you squeeze a tube of Elmer’s glue, you will get glue. But what happens if you “squeeze” a Christian? What happens when life squeezes you? And me?
For a good part of my life, I felt that whenever I tried to get close to God, He would move farther away. It seemed to me that He wasn’t interested in a relationship with me. You see, that’s the way it was with my earthly father. He didn’t know how to have a relationship with someone. So, when I tried to get close to him, he moved farther away emotionally…
Think a minute. How many snap decisions have you made that turned out well? Now think about this. How many decisions have you prayed about carefully, sought advice from godly people on, and let some time pass before you acted that you regret? Hmmm…
In 1978 singer-songwriter Bob Seger saw his hit single, “Still the Same”, reach #4 on the “Billboard Hot 100 Chart”. The song is about a gambler who the singer admired but ultimately walked away from because he would not change despite the consequences of his actions…
I heard a story a long time ago that went like this: Some time after Jesus returned to heaven He heard that the people of the world He created and went down to die for had decided to celebrate His birthday. Excited, He visited the earth to watch all the festivities in His honor. ..
The good shepherd took hold of the wayward sheep and, with one blow from his staff, broke the animal’s leg. Bleating in pain, the wounded sheep tried to get away from the shepherd…