Wake Up Call

On Black Monday, October 28, 1929, the Dow Jones Industrial Average declined nearly 13 percent. It set the stage for what became known as the Great Depression. The US economy would survive, of course, and other stock market crashes would occur. What does this teach us about being good stewards of what we have? While … Read more "On Black Monday"

Today is Columbus Day, although Christopher Columbus didn't sight land in the Americas on a Monday. His decisions and their consequences should cause us to think about this day. And what happened to make it a recognized day on Monday is a story worth pondering. Download the podcast here!

On this, the fourth Monday in September, which in 1690 was September 25, the first American newspaper was published. A single edition of “Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick,” appeared in Boston, Massachusetts. However, British authorities considered the newspaper offensive and ordered its immediate suppression. So, it had only one edition, one single publication. Why the authorities suppressed … Read more "America’s First Newspaper"

Today is Constitution Day. It was on the third Monday of the month, September 17, 1787, that delegates from twelve states  to the Constitutional Convention voted unanimously in Philadelphia to approve the proposed  U.S. Constitution. The delegates' courage and tenacity can inspire us as we face life's daily challenges.  Download the podcast here!

Not knowing what tomorrow, or this afternoon, holds for us, should encourage us to live each moment as a gift. Download the podcast here!

Why do we have Labor Day, anyway? The history behind the Labor Day holiday is far more complex and dramatic than most might realize, and knowing that may help us observe it in a more thoughtful and dare I say, relaxing way. Download the podcast here!

You might say Hitler's “open door” policy was to kick in the door, storm in, and take over the room and the house. The challenge for us is that it's not always easy to see evil when it's coming. We often don't see the danger until the crocodile is upon us, and then, sometimes, when … Read more "Hitler’s “Open Door Policy”"

It happened on Monday, the third Monday in August, August 21,1911, when the most famous painting in the world was stolen. Only it wasn't the most famous painting back then. That all changed on August 21, 1911, the third Monday in August. What about you? You, too, are a work of art. Don't miss the … Read more "Missing the Mona Lisa"

On the third Monday in August, August 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton admitted to an “improper relationship” with White House Intern, Monica Lewinsky. Clinton became the first sitting president to testify before the Office of Independent Counsel as the subject of a grand-jury investigation. Clinton was able to rebound and move forward, although the situation would follow him … Read more "Surviving Shame"

Fifty years ago, on August 9, 1971, the second Monday in August, Satchel  Paige was the first Negro League player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. But he wasn't the first Black American athlete inducted into the Hall of Fame. Why then was he inducted? What were the Negro Leagues, and why did they … Read more "Satchel Paige vs. Jim Crow"

On August 2, 1921, U.S. President Warren G. Harding officiated at the tercentenary celebration at Plymouth, Massachusetts, the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Pilgrims in North America.  But, wait a minute, didn't the Pilgrims land at Plymouth in November of 1620? That's why we celebrate Thanksgiving in November instead of August, right? A variety of myths have … Read more "It Happened on a Monday| At Plymouth: Coming to Terms with the Myth"

Three simple words can make a huge difference. Saying, “I love you,” and meaning it can not only make a positive difference in someone's day, it can change a life. Download the podcast here!

Being courteous and kind may seem like a very simple thing, but it can have eternal effects. When you are kind, when you are considerate to others, you are unknowingly being kind to yourself, not just to the person before you at the moment. Download the podcast here!

When there is a conflict between a couple of people—whether it's husband and wife, siblings, or two employees at the office, at least three things have to happen to get to a resolution in a healthy way. Download the podcast here!

Often, it's the simple things that make the biggest difference. For instance, have you ever thought how powerful it is to know someone's name? Knowing someone's name is certainly not rocket science, but it makes a huge difference in relationships. Download the podcast here!

Guilt is not always bad, unless it’s false guilt. Once we have gone to God with our failure, our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us. We  can “leave it.”  Download the podcast here!

As we express genuine interest in others–people with real needs, wants, and desires—we connect. But connecting is an effort; it’s something we must do intentionally. Download the podcast here!

We can redirect our hearts and minds so that our thirst is transformed to the point where we want what we need and our thirst is quenched by the right thing: The Spirit of God. Download the podcast here!

It’s most often in the seemingly small compliments , the minor encouragements we share that people are often most encouraged. Download the podcast here!

We make positive differences for the kingdom of God as we give ourselves to God. That works best as we focus on the important areas of our lives—like the spiritual, the mental, the social—striving to be all we are meant to be for Christ. Download the podcast here!

God showed up for us; we can worship him by showing up for him, especially this week as we anticipate the celebration of Easter.  Download the podcast here!

We never know what a day will bring, do we? Sometimes the days we think are going to be uneventful, turn out to be anything but uneventful. Proverbs 27:1: “Don’t boast about tomorrow, for you don’t know what a day might bring.” So, we have to ready, each and every day. Yes, some days require … Continue reading Psyched Up →

Cataract surgery is a procedure to remove the lens of your eye and, in most cases, replace it with an artificial lens. There’s another kind of vision that can become clouded in your life; it’s a vision beyond what our optic nerves and a new lens can provide.  I’m talking about the vision you have for … Continue reading Do You Need “Eye” Surgery? →

Whenever you and Jesus are together, it’s a good day. Some days are better than others, and some days can be painful, even tragic, but we are with Jesus, he can bring good from even the bad. Download the podcast here!

There’s a temptation to look back, but when you do, you break your stride and invite defeat. Download the podcast here!

Focusing on that one question, answering it in different areas of your life, will cause a domino effect which can make you more effective. Download the podcast here!

If our spiritual vision is blurred, say by our disobedience to God in areas of our life, we don’t see God working in our lives as much. We don’t have as clear a vision of him and his purposes for us.  So, if we want to sense God’s power and presence, then we must come … Continue reading How Are You Seeing? →

For the Christian, you find your passion by spending time alone with God, listening to Him, taking your time to be still and quiet. And here is something I think you’ll discover: You’ll discover you can’t be anything you want to be. But you can be all you are mean to be, and when you find that, … Continue reading Escaping the Curse →

On this day, when our nation honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., it’s good that we remember his words, especially those of September 15, 1963, for they still have something to say to us. Download the podcast here!

How do we find our true selves? How do we know who we are? I like to keep things simple, and for me, it’s not as I’m mediating in some ashram somewhere, repeating a mysterious phrase, it comes as I’m simply following Christ. As I’m following Christ, it’s revealed, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly. The closer … Continue reading Becoming Your New Self →

As we enter this new year, it’s time for a fresh start. Whew! 2020 is behind us. It’s time to move forward. Download the podcast here!

As we say good-bye to Christmas 2020, we look forward to the light of Christ guiding us forward. Download the podcast here!

Bringing Christ into Christmas involves more than wrapping presents and getting the house decorated for the holiday. Download the podcast here!

“TMI,” too much information, can eclipse faith, preventing us from stepping out and obeying God in what we do know about Him. It can even cause you to miss Christ this Christmas. Download the podcast here!

It’s easy to miss the “Big Story” this Christmas. We’ve been through a lot these past nine months. And it’s easy to overlook the most important news this season.  Download the podcast here!

Instead of  putting Advent on hold this year, we need it as much or more than ever. Christ has come; He is here; He is coming again. How can we prepare for Him this Covid Christmas? Download podcast here!

Dr. Whitlock has a Thanksgiving Day challenge: form a habit of being thankful. It is actually a habit that’s best for your health and vitality. Download the podcast here!

Now that the elections are over, we might ask, “Where do we go from here?” We go forward by living the life God meant us to live. We find who are supposed to be and what we are to do by looking at the chief virtue that characterized the earliest Christians. Download the podcast here!

This Saturday happens to be two special days, one is a secular holiday and the other, a religious one. One is more familiar to most people. So, what’s the difference, and how did they end up occurring on the same day? Download the podcast here!

We are all prone to wander. When we do, it’s important to know what steps to take to return to fellowship with Christ. Download the podcast here!

Being grateful for the seemingly small things can lead to big things, like a life-style of gratitude that opens us to a positive outlook on life.  Download the podcast here!

There’s an art to waking-up. How we start can be crucial to our effectiveness for that day. And, the healthy wake-up call begins hours before we awake. Download the podcast here!

It’s sounds so simple: “Be kind.” But being kind, especially in the days in which we find ourselves, is not often easy. Being kind can make all the difference in this world…and the next.  Download the podcast here!

When we are tired—spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally, we need rest. We can go to Christ and find strength and hope in him. By looking to the same place Christ looked, we, through Him, can not only endure but thrive in troubled times. Download the podcast here!

None of us has a tomorrow promised. What about those who were grieving that day because of a loss in their life, that very day, 9/11? We can grieve, yet still move forward with our grief, one day at a time. Download the podcast here!

We all have to greater or lesser degrees a need for help.  We should be able to ask others to pray for us. But, too often we think if we humble ourselves to ask for help, we will appear weak. That’s because we have an inadequate understanding of humility. Download podcast here!

We often have Christian heroes, or certain spiritual people we put on a pedestal. We need to remember that they are weak and vulnerable, just like every Christian who’s willing to step out there on the battlefield. So, let’s be sensitive to those people, who like C.S. Lewis, are willing to show their vulnerability by … Continue reading Pray for Me →

We don’t always have to use words to pray. In fact, some who have prayed often and for years recommend praying without words. Just how do we do that? Download the podcast here!

One of the admonitions writer C.S. Lewis gave to a friend in regard to prayer was, “Never, never to try to generate an emotion by will power.” That’s good for us to remember as we pray. But, what place do our emotions have when we pray? Do they lead us, or do we lead them? … Continue reading Feeling Alright? →

Have you ever talked with someone who only talked about how they felt? And they never waited for you to respond? They only talked about themselves. That describes the prayer life for way too many Christians. So, what to do?  I have found this best thing to do is go to the scriptures, and literally … Continue reading Prayer: It’s Not About You →

C.S. Lewis wrote to a friend about the priority of prayer. Among other things, Lewis advised that in prayer, it’s essential, as he put it, “To make sure that, wherever else they may be placed, the main prayers should not be put ‘last thing at night.’” Why is that important? Why should it be a priority? Let’s … Continue reading A Matter of Priority →