One of my favorite Christmas memories was when I was just a toddler, and I decided that I wanted to have a real live bird’s nest on our family Christmas tree. My brother who was five years older than me, loved to take care of me, so he decided he would go out and find one. Sure enough, Kenny climbed way up...
During the holiday season, we hear a lot about Jesus. We hear a lot of Scripture. But what I’ve learned lately is that for God’s Word to become more than words to us, we have to go beyond reading and into fully trusting what it says. It’s only when we fully trust what it says that we will obey. And...
When I was a kid, my gift of leadership started showing itself in the setting of organized sports. The only bad part about this was that my gift wasn’t mature, which made my passion often look a whole lot more like anger. I’ll never forget the day we had lost a Little League game, and I went on a rant at...
When we want to make progress in our lives, we often pray for “open doors.” That comes from the verse in Revelations 3 that says that what God opens, no man can shut. Doesn’t that sound appealing? An opportunity that no one can interfere with? A blessing that no one can take from you? That’s what God is promising here. But...
Abraham Lincoln is one of the most esteemed Americans in our nation’s history, due to the successful life he lived. But what many don’t know is that great adversity paved his path. And when I say great, I am not exaggerating. Here’s why. In 1809, Lincoln was born. At age 7, he and his family were forced out of their home,...
In Acts 2:17, it says that God wants to pour out His Spirit on all people, and when He does, we will begin to see things beyond the way they are in the natural. When we look at society’s alarming statistics and negative patterns, we will be able to hold onto hope because we see what God sees. The fact is...
You’ve probably had someone say to you, “There’s no time like the present.” I used to hear it often as a kid, when I was slow doing homework or chores. But as I got older I started to view this phrase in a more mature sense. I saw that every great journey begins with a first step, and that includes our...
"Jimmy do you see this door?” My dad’s lectures often involved abstract concepts, and I could tell that this conversation would be no different. “Yes, dad. I see the door,” I responded with a bit of attitude. “Good. Watch how easy it opens and closes.” He demonstrated it by swinging the door open and closed several times. “Life’s like this door, son,” he said as...
We’re all created with gifts, and we’re all created with gaps. I’m a firm believer that God gave us those gaps for a reason. We lack certain strengths so that we can experience well the love of others. We all have our own temptations we’re predisposed to, and our best life comes when we work to fill those gaps, not with skill...
The word “authority” often carries a negative connotation. It reminds us of teachers giving us work we didn’t want to do or coaches yelling at us to take the line. But as we get older, we realize that authority is actually a beneficial thing. In fact, it’s necessary if we want to reach our full potential. Especially when we’re referring to...