Worthy Words

Before a new school year starts, high school and college students network with each other to gain insight on who is the best teacher to have for a particular class. They know there are teachers out there that they hope and pray they don’t end up with. They want to know which teachers are known for their tough demeanor, their difficult class requirements, or their huge homework assignments. These are teachers who make you stay in at lunch if you speak out of turn or who seem to be out to get you for no reason at all! These teachers don’t stand a chance!   Kids know these teachers by their reputations. Students who are assigned to these teachers are already expecting the worst. No matter how nice the teacher may be, how often the teacher compliments the children or gives them treats, an impression already exists. When kids expect a hard, mean and unfair teacher, they usually find one! Abraham Lincoln once said, “When you look for the bad in man you shall certainly...

I’ve been taking more and more time to reflect on the fast pace of life and how quickly I arrived at my middle sixties. I’ve been thinking this through at length, looking for excuses to how I blew through life at a supersonic pace. You know what I’ve found? There are so many things that you rob yourselves of when the pace of living goes up and up. It seems like the faster you move, the more you miss. Not only do you miss the wonders of God’s creation all around you, such as sunsets, flowers, the beauty of a smile, and the awesomeness of the changing of the seasons, but you also miss out on one of the greatest wonders in life—the person who God has created you to be. You are incredibly complex. When you consider just the physical aspect of humanness, you have reasons to be amazed! For instance, scientists tell us facts like: • In just one year, a person’s heart beats 40 million times. • 50,000 of the cells in your body will die and be replaced with new cell...

Growing up I spent a lot of time with my Granddad. He shared his life with me. He was my mentor and hero. He introduced me to Jesus. He always had a special saying, joke, or story that made me laugh and captivated my imagination. I would sit for hours listening to him tell me stories about his life and work. Now that he’s with Jesus, I treasure in my heart those stories for they have left their mark on me. Everyone has a life story. Your stories include all of your experiences and all of the people who have been a part of your life. Certainly, along the pages of your life, there are people who for better or for worse have had a significant influence on you. Like all stories, the pages that make up your life are not just meant to be written, but to be read by others. The life and practice of Christ-following is passed on, down the line, from person to person to person, from generation to generation. Christ-following is centered upon the content of the Bible. Yet, the...