Next week is Thanksgiving, that gentle yearly reminder to practice gratitude.  All of us have moments that we feel grateful.  But how do we consistently weave thankfulness into our lives?LOOK BACK      Looking back at my past, I see God's hand of blessing clearly.  I have received so much more than I have ever given.  There were forks in the road that could have been...  Read More

2 Chronicles 7:14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.     The above is a popular Bible passage, written originally to ancient Israel, but Christians grab it as their own too.  It contains a powerful tool for national...  Read More

Dean and Jana Dickinson. You don't know them because they live thousands of miles away.  They are my parents, married for 54 years. They served at a church in Indianapolis, IN for over four decades.  They survived and even thrived in the midst of character crashes by other leaders, church struggles, dad's leukemia and much more.  There are many words I could use to describe them, but fai...  Read More

THE POWER OF WORDS“Yes, I will marry you!”“I wish you had never been born.” “I’m sorry.”“I love you.”“I want a divorce.”“I believe in you.”     The above phrases are only words, correct?  Yet, think of the impact of each statement coming from someone you love.  King Solomon once said, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (Proverbs 18:21).   Author ...  Read More

OVERCOMING DISCOURAGEMENT      Are you discouraged?  Our youngest child laid on the floor of our kitchen after the first day of online classes and moaned, "I knew it wouldn't be the same as going to school with my friends but I hoped it would be a little fun."  Our eighteen year old son, like many other across the country, did his final semester of high school on line because of COVID—19 with no p...  Read More

TEN TIPS ON PARENTING      My wife and I have five children ages 24, 22, 20, 18 and 12 and we have fostered numerous children over the years.  We have made many parenting mistakes but I think I can offer you some hard-earned advice from the trenches.  These tips are in no particular order.   1.  Point your children to Jesus Christ.  This life is short; eternity is long.  Jesus makes this life bett...  Read More

HELPING THE SUICIDAL     Suicide.  An ugly word for a desperate act.  Most people have been touched by the pain of someone giving up on life.  Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America (Rings Of Fire, Leonard Sweet, 97).  Statistics tell us an American takes their life at least every twenty-two minutes! (Rings of Fire, Leonard Sweet, 98)  That means you could easily find yourself talk...  Read More

NEWSMINER ARTICLE—OVERCOMING TEMPTATION     One of my favorite fictional superheroes is Superman.  You know the story—the man of steel, faster than a speeding bullet, incredible strength.  But even heroes have a weakness.  Superman’s is Kryptonite.  A substance from his own planet that weakens him (Killing Kryptonite, John Bevere).  Have you ever thought about what’s your kryptonite?  What is that...  Read More

      Author Louie Giglio tells a story of being a senior in high school and he made it to state in doubles tennis but only because of his partner.  His dad had never watched a match but when he came to the state tournament Louie messed up again and again.  When he returned home his dad who normally called him by the nick name Ace said, “Well I guess we can't call you Ace any more we’ll have to ca...  Read More

DEALING WITH ANGER      Anger.  A powerful word.  Just saying it probably brings a scene to your mind.  Possibly, your father screaming at your mother when you were a child.  Maybe a moment where you saw two people literally come to blows.  Or maybe it's more subtle, like a caustic email you received from a co-worker.  Anger is everywhere.  There is no escape.  Like a raging emotional pandemic all...  Read More

LEARN TO LISTEN       I had never thought much about the power of listening until I worked for a crisis line.  My job mostly consisted of deescalating people who were threatening to commit suicide.  One lesson that I learned quickly was to talk less and listen more.  Offering people in crisis a listening ear is a precious gift.  To be honest, offering anyone a listening ear is a valuable gift.  In...  Read More

HOW DOES GOD GUIDE US?     I admit that I am a directionally challenged person.  One time when visiting my parents in Indianapolis, IN.  I drove over an hour following the GPS directions, attempting to get to Warren, Indiana, but was actually heading to Warren, Illinois.  Oops! We have to make so many decisions in life.  Columbia researcher Sheen Lyengar has found that the average person makes abo...  Read More