The fall of Judah The story of Daniel is one of those great parts of Scripture that clearly and repeatedly reminds us that we are never far from God. So much of the story is so familiar that I have a tendency to blow right by some of its truths when reading it. For example, […]
Pride vs. humility HUMILITY…is a hard pill to swallow. You have heard the term ‘humble pie’. I’ve experienced a lot of it over my lifetime. It’s often used in the phrase—‘eat humble pie’. It is a figurative serving of humiliation usually in the form of a forced submission, apology or retraction. I’ve noted that most, […]
Cleaning the mess MOMS…are the ones who always used to get the “Hi Mom” on TV from the guys on the bench at college football games. The only signs about dads I used to see were: “Dad, send money”. Irma Bombeck, a hilarious comedian, said she didn’t know her name wasn’t “But Mom” until all […]
A poem from prison Below is a poem written by one of the dads in our curriculum at Hutchins State Jail where I teach each Wednesday. Since I have written poetry most of my life, I was encouraged by Dustin S. and his ability to grasp a subject and express it poetically. Us ‘rhymers’ stick […]
Perfect happiness BEATITUDES…are defined as supreme blessedness or a state of utmost bliss. It is more than just being happy; lots of things give you earthly happiness. They are exalted happiness. The origin in Latin means perfect happiness. You get the point; it’s an awesome, life altering experience. But what can cause such blessedness? Well, […]
Inattention and confusion Not long ago, I was called upon to teach on the topic of fatherhood to a group of men inside a Texas state prison. My focus would be on a chapter early into the book From Faith to Faith by Bill Dotson, founder and president of Abiding Fathers ministries. I was well […]
Prideful thinking Hunkering down…is an interesting expression. It is more related to males than females in my experience. To hunker down is ‘to stay in a place for a period of time’, ‘to seek shelter’, maybe in a violent storm or heavy winds. When I was a child, our family had a storm shelter to […]
Temporary confinement INCARCERATION…speaks of confinement of inmates inside a jail or prison. Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The term is a specially used for the confinement of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects. Either way, it is simply being ‘locked up’. I have spent […]
Identity ADOLESCENCE…is defined as the years from puberty to adulthood, roughly divided into three stages. Early adolescence is generally from 11 to 14; middle is ages 15 to 17 and late is 18 to 21. In addition to physiological growth, there are several key intellectual, psychological and social developmental tasks that are squeezed into these […]