Worthy Words

For a number of years my brother-in-law has lived and worked in Central and South America , along with my wife’s youngest sister and three sons.   We had the opportunity to travel to Buenos Aries , Argentina to see them on a vacation visit. One of my strongest memories was seeing this historic and entertaining city of over 15 million people. Its name means fair winds and is the place where the Tango dance originated. It’s hard to imagine that Argentina is considered a 3 rd world country. When we arrived I noticed that the neighborhood they lived in was a typical neighborhood you would see in the States — ice cream shops, restaurants, schools, and business of all kinds. I remember turning down the street that led to their house and noticing something a little different —a guard house at the beginning of the block and the houses enclosed with iron spiked fences. I asked what they were for, and it was explained to me that they were there for their protection. Sitting in their...

In Dr. Seuss’ classic story of Horton Hatches an Egg, Horton the elephant agrees to sit on an irresponsible bird’s egg while she takes off for vacation. He has no idea she will be gone for months, but as time goes on, many of the jungle animals make fun of Horton for sitting on this egg day after day. His response is always, “I meant what I said and I said what I meant... an elephant's faithful, one hundred percent.” No matter what storm, what situation arose, he stuck to his word and kept his promise to sit on that egg until it hatched. How absurd it must have been to see an elephant sitting in a nest on a tree. How absurd it must have seemed for some to see the Son of God hanging from a cross. I can picture the scene and it’s almost ridiculous to think that the Son of God could be killed. It is not surprising that he was ridiculed by many who were there…but they were wrong. Jesus hung on that cross for all of us, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eter...

Everyone is aware of Patrick Henry’s primary contribution to the history books was the phrase "Give me liberty or give me death," but he also made another statement that appears in a number of quotation collections. He said, "I know of no way of judging the future but by the past." Repeat this before a group of people and you'll see many heads move up and down in agreement. It has the feel of good common sense. Be careful, though. This saying might be true when applied to politics or history or investment strategies, but it provides a lousy foundation for developing relationships. And it certainly doesn't reflect the way God relates to us. God gives a chance to let go of the past and start over — each and every day. Jeremiah wrote, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22-23) God doesn't judge our future by our...

I remember my college biology class where we learned that starfish have a unique capability. If a starfish should lose a limb, it can re-grow a new one. The name for this re-growth is regeneration. The process can take years, but when it is complete, you would be hard pressed to tell that the starfish had ever been damaged. The lives of many people are also damaged. They limp around with burdens from the past. The battles of life have torn at their resolve and stolen bits of their joy, leaving them bruised and crippled. It is easy to do the quick fix and “Band-Aid” the pain or mask the hurt. But underneath the façade lies a bleeding wound that over time will continue to fester until it is laid before the Great Physician. It can take years for the limb of a starfish to regenerate until it is whole again. However, if you take the starfish away from its source of life, the ocean, not only will it never heal, but it will ultimately die. The same is true with you. Our source of life i...

Pro quarterback Tim Tebow stated this year, during his highly publicized over-analyzed success as quarterback of the Denver Broncos, that: "In the NFL, there are 30 QB’s who can throw better than I can. But I’d like to think that I can help guys win." I guess that's what it comes down to, isn't it? Being able to win. In the NFL, as in life, content is more valuable than form. A district manager of a drug retail chain told me that many under-achieving store managers try to score points by having a spick and span store — as if that makes up for lack of profit. It becomes more apparent as the years go by that overall in our society folks tend to value form over content. Most home improvement experts on HGTV tell their viewers that on a percentage basis, a new coat of paint will increase a home's selling price far more than new plumbing will. This is a snare we must spurn. In the Old Testament, we are reminded that God's priorities are different than ours....

There are a wide array of books, seminars, and gurus suggesting the right way to achieve financial freedom. To be sure there is more that one way to free yourself and your family from debt. Most will cost you money, the very thing you’re trying to save. I have some free advice. Yes, free! They are habits I am using to gain my goals of financial freedom. The key word is “habit.” It requires some time, effort, and determination to discipline yourself, but inch-by-inch you can free yourself from the slavery of debt. 1. Earn An Honest Living "Those unwilling to work will not get to eat." 11 Yet we hear that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other people's business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living.    2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 NLT 2. Plan Your Spending Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty. Proverb...

Back on the farm in my early teens we had a 60 Dodge pickup that we used for chores and going to the feed store to pick up supplies. It was a tin can on wheels. I don’t know what my uncle paid for it but I couldn’t have been very much. My experience with this truck has kept me out of Dodge dealership ever since. You see, it developed two problems. One, the heater didn't work. Two, reverse didn't work. You can go without a heater (after all we live in Texas), but it's hard to drive a pickup that doesn't go into reverse. I said hard, but not impossible. I learned to drive with a “can’t back-up” mentality. I wouldn't pull up and park behind other farm equipment unless it was on a slope and I could roll my way back away from them. In parking lots, I looked for two empty spaces, so I could pull through the first and park in the second, as if I had backed in. I got pretty good at it, making it through most situations not driving backwards. This is a terrible way to ...