Abraham again took a wife, and her name was Keturah. (Genesis 25:1 NKJV) When Abraham’s wife, Sarah died he was 137 years old. He had spent nearly 100 years married to her. Now, he was alone. So what did he do? He loved again. The Bible says he took another wife named Keturah. Starting over … Read more
Like a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. Like an apple tree among the trees of the woods, So is my beloved among the sons. (Song of Solomon 2:2, 3a NKJV) This school year, I’ve taken note of a certain house on the road to my daughter’s school. At first the … Read more
Have you ever lived in a gated community with a homeowners association? I haven’t but in college, I heard stories of how strict some of them can be. There always seems to be some president or marshall who patrols the community measuring lawns with a ruler to hand out penalties if the grass is more … Read more
Through the years we’ve lived in a few apartment complexes. We typically chose those complexes based on the amenities they offered such as pools, fitness rooms, tennis courts, clubhouses, and more. But no matter how great the amenities or how long we stayed and paid rent, the apartments would never let us own our unit … Read more
Yesterday, I went to the Chambers County Property Tax Auction in Alabama. During the auction we were bidding on properties that were described as “lots with improvements” (meaning it had a house or building on it), “lots” (meaning they were empty), or “acres” (meaning it was several acres of undeveloped land). When one particular empty … Read more
I like to think that I’m a peaceful person. I try to keep anger, bitterness, and wrath under control. But sometimes the aggressive, male part of me slips out and hurts the people I love the most. “Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.” (Colossians 3:19 NKJV) God tells husbands to love … Read more
I’m a black man raised in a black family, in a black neighborhood. Growing up I lived a normal black life. But I also had another life. You see, each weekday morning I left my black life and rode the school bus to the other side of the city to attend a predominately white school, with … Read more
So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might … Read more
For years my mother has celebrated Lent, the season of prayer, fasting, and consecration leading up to Easter. Each year I watched her offer up to God things like sweets, fried foods, and sodas. She is always dedicated and believes her fasting truly brings her closer to God. This year, I’m celebrating Lent for the … Read more
One of the jobs I held right after college was with a painting company. It was a small operation and we mostly painted apartments for students around campus. One day, a guy who had been with the company much longer than myself began to complain about the equipment and pointed out several problems with the … Read more