How would you define a “culture”? Have you ever given any thought to what makes certain cultures distinctive? Now let me clarify; I’m not thinking of yoghurt, and I don’t mean the opera. I’m not against either, but those aren’t the kinds of cultures I have in mind. A culture is the set of principles […]
Read MoreCategory Archives: Christian Living
Chuck’s Insights on a Life Well Lived
What does God expect of you? Few of us have thought long or hard about that question, though all of us should. The answer determines whether we live life well or live life poorly. The ancient prophet Micah pondered what God expected. The simplicity of Micah’s divinely inspired answer shocked the affluent society of ancient […]
Read MoreBehind Closed Doors
Some people like to keep journals. Not me. I like to collect little souvenirs. I have bits and pieces—memorabilia that help me call to mind particular events and stories. Ebenezers is what the Old Testament calls them – “stones of help.” My New Testament wife calls them clutter. One of my mementoes is a Father’s […]
Read MoreI Want You to Have Raw-Oyster Courage
I grew up in a small South Texas town. We Texans sure do love to use colourful phrases instead of common words. For example, when we describe someone who is courageous, we might say, “He’s double-backboned.” Or we might use another of my favourites: “He’s as brave as the first man who ate an oyster.” […]
Read MoreJournal
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 Lord, here I am again, full of worry—a subject I bring to You over and over again. It’s about what I believe (Your truth and promises) playing tug of war with what I feel (my emotions and fears). The journey between my head and my heart is the hardest one of […]
Read MoreOne Person We All Need
Let’s say you’re a patient about to undergo major surgery. Just before they wheel you in, the doctor blurts, “You know, I’ve never actually done surgery before . . . but hey, we’ll give it the ol’ college try.” How would you respond? You’d explode: “Wait! Stop!” That’s because you want somebody who’s been trained. […]
Read MoreLaughter and Tears—Generously Given
Have you ever had one of those experiences where joy welled up so deeply inside that you laughed and cried at the same time? You know what I mean—when joy is so overwhelming that your emotions span the extremes. You don’t know whether to giggle or shed a tear. You fight to hold the emotions […]
Read MoreErosion
I remember only two things from my high school chemistry class. First, I got rid of a wart on the back of my right hand through applications of sulfuric acid for thirty-three consecutive days. Second, I watched the slow death of a frog in an unforgettable experiment. My teacher placed the hapless creature in an […]
Read MoreConforming or Transforming
Romans 12:1 deals with the physical, our bodies. Romans 12:2 deals with the metaphysical, our minds. Jews focused all of their attention on the ethical, public behavior of a person, which is good in many ways. However, Jesus was not satisfied with mere external, physical obedience. He called for His followers to have clean hearts […]
Read MoreTime with God
I was raised to believe in the importance of a “quiet time.” To the surprise of some, the original idea of that concept did not come from the late Dawson Trotman, the founder of The Navigators, but from the Lord Himself. Replete through the Scriptures are references to the value of waiting for the Lord […]
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