My dog turned 9 years old earlier last month. It is likely he only has at most a few more years to live. That is to be expected. Dogs make it 12-15 years and die. It is sad. It will be sad. But many people get past the sadness, and they get a new dog. Continue reading “The important lesson pets can teach us about trust – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 4”
Tag Archives: psalms
Why you don’t know your great-grandparents’ names – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 3
My 2yr-old grandson calls me “Pop-Pop,” because I wanted to be called “Pop-Pop” after my grandfather. He calls my wife, “Grammy” because that’s what some of our best friends’ daughter called her grandmother, who was another close friend who passed away in 2020 after battling cancer. These are both individuals we loved and admired. WeContinue reading “Why you don’t know your great-grandparents’ names – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 3”
Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2
Are things in our world getting worse? While politicians boldly declare that crime is on the rise, an FBI report says the opposite: “Not only has violent crime fallen 23% from 2002 to 2022, but also in the past year alone murders fell 6% and violent crime declined 2% overall.” (Source: Time) It can be difficultContinue reading “Are you struggling with fear? – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Part 2”
How to listen to a…New Years Psalm of Wisdom, Part 1
While it is true that New Year’s Day is just another day of year, I’m glad for a marker. Yes, today, New Year’s Day 2024, is just another Monday. A day off for people who work at companies that give off for New Year’s Day. An extra day of family, food, football. But I amContinue reading “How to listen to a…New Years Psalm of Wisdom, Part 1”
An evaluation of our lives – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Preview
Each time I teach a class for Lancaster Bible College, there is a course evaluation. It’s not just my classes. Every LBC class includes an evaluation. Here’s how it works: all students in the class are sent an email with a link that they can click on to evaluate the course. In my experience, aboutContinue reading “An evaluation of our lives – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Preview”
God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5
At the conclusion of Psalm 98, a psalm of joyous celebration, suddenly, all the joy and praise and glory seems to stop. Notice how the psalm concludes in verse 9b, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” Judge? What a different tone. WhatContinue reading “God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5”
Three important words about salvation that lead to exuberant praise around the globe – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 4
Most people enjoy a good celebration. Whether it is New Year’s, a birthday, an anniversary, a victory or achievement of some kind, it is wonderful to gather with friends and loved ones to celebrate. Psalm 98 is a psalm of celebration. In this post we’ll find out why. In Psalm 98, there are three words in verses 1-3Continue reading “Three important words about salvation that lead to exuberant praise around the globe – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 4”
How God’s similarity to the Winter Soldier is of vital importance – Advent Psalm of Celebration
What mental image comes to your mind when you think of God? I suspect most people have images of God, and those images are almost certainly incorrect or inadequate. We view God as “the big man upstairs.” Or God is a Santa Claus kind of figure, or a white man with gray/white hair and a flowingContinue reading “How God’s similarity to the Winter Soldier is of vital importance – Advent Psalm of Celebration”
Two names for salvation – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 1
I recently saw an interview in which a former coach and player talked about the impact playing professional football had on his family around the holidays. He would either have to be completely away from his family, or they would all be together in a hotel because he would have a game on Christmas DayContinue reading “Two names for salvation – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 1”
Is Santa Claus…God? – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Preview
Is Santa Claus…God? Of course not, but they sure do share some characteristics, don’t they? When we think of God, while we Christians do not believe Santa Claus is real, the typical cultural conception of God is very similar to the typical cultural conception of Santa Claus. Both are all-seeing benevolent givers of gifts who liveContinue reading “Is Santa Claus…God? – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Preview”
Engaging Scripture 