We live in a world of conflict.  Divorce rates are high.  Political discussions are rarely civil.  Churches sometimes split.  People get fired.  Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law do not always see eye to eye.  I am amazed how many times I have been in a coffee shop or restaurant reading a book and the people at the table next to me or the waitresses nearby are discussing a conflict they are...

     Today millions of Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Clearly the Resurrection is a stunning miracle but what are the lasting results of the Resurrection?      First, the Resurrection gives us certainty.  No other religious leader predicted their own death and resurrection and then backed it up.  Not Mohammed.  Not Buddha.  Jesus made some outrageous claims.  He claim...

      Failure.  Tough word.  Heavy, painful and probably a memory explodes in your mind.  Early in my ministry in Kentucky I was leading a class for new believers.  We were sitting in a circle, and I wanted us to go over a large portion of Scripture.  I had each person read a couple verses.  We got to one middle aged man who got very angry, jumped up and left.  Apparently, he could not read, and I...

        Have you ever had a person break a promise or agreement with you? My wife and I were foster parents for several years.  One of the saddest things to watch was when a parent promised to visit with their child and then they would not show up.  The child was devasted.  Or maybe you stood in a church in front of family and friends and pledged to love, honor and cherish a person for the rest of...

     One of our sons and his wife just had twin boys.  They are home now but they spent two weeks in NICU at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.  One of the insights that the medical staff emphasized with the new parents is the importance of touch.  They encouraged the parents to hold their babies as much as possible.  Skin to skin contact is vital.  I recently read, “In a study initiated by the Touch Re...