Hole in the Fence

A young boy loved to go next door to play, even though his mother had told him not to. She asked him why he was so disobedient.  He replied that Satan had tempted him so badly that he did not know what to do. His mom then advised him to say, “Get behind me, Satan,”…

Milestones

Okay, sports fans. Here are just a few things that happened on this date in history. How many do you remember? In 1961, George Blanda of the Houston Oilers passed for 505 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-13 rout of the New York Titans. That same day, Cleveland’s Jim Brown rushed for 237 yards…

Never Too Late

On November 14, 2009, Tom Thompson stepped onto the football field to attempt his first extra point as a place-kicker for NCAA Division III Austin College, of Sherman, Texas. His kick was good. That would be the last point Austin College would score against Trinity University that mild Saturday afternoon.  This may not sound newsworthy…

A Three-Letter Word

There’s this little word we don’t hear much about these days. Sin. What, exactly, is sin? I will leave the biblical word for “sin,” all Greek lessons, as well as theological ramblings for another day. I love the way Oswald Chambers says it: “Sin is a fundamental relationship. It is not wrong doing, but wrong…

The Sun Will Rise Again

When the sun sets on Barrow, Alaska, in mid-November, it won’t be seen again until late January. But no one doubts the sun’s existence just because they don’t see it for a while. Why? They know the sun is still there because they’ve seen it before. You can be certain of God’s presence because you’ve…

Passion

Recovery without passion is just talk. So what is passion? The word “passion” comes from the root pati, meaning to suffer. Anything about which we are passionate is something for which we are willing to suffer.  Sure it is hard to stay sober. Yes, your commitment to recovery will invite attack and temptation. But if…

Halftime

I am a long-suffering Houston sports fan. Exhibit A – April 4, 1983 The University of Houston Cougars lost the NCAA Finals to huge underdog North Carolina State on the final play of the game. Exhibit B – January 3, 1993  The Houston Oilers led the Buffalo Bills, 28-3 at halftime in an NFL playoff…

Moving On

On the night of his betrayal, Jesus said something interesting to his betrayer. He told Judas, “What you are going to do, do quickly” (John 13:27).  It wasn’t that Jesus was commending the betrayal, but that he wanted to move quickly beyond this historic mistake. You have made colossal mistakes. Every sex addict has. Now…

The One

Most of us are in a lifelong search for “the one.” We reason: “If I can find the one [fill in the blank] that I’m searching for, I will finally be happy.”  In my own life, I found my “one,” the very best:  Wife Son Church Home Car Degree Vacation Career Hobby Still, it was…

Only the Body Matters

As a young man, over the course of about 20 years, I was the proud owner of five different 1966 Mustang convertibles, each in excellent condition. As a classic car lover, I attended numerous car shows each year. And I found a couple of things interesting.  We overlook the dings and scratches in the other…