Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, Today I saw a quote about marriage that resonated with me after 43 years of marriage, and 40 years of counseling married couples both inside and outside the church. If you are married, it will help. If you aren't married but are thinking of getting married, it will help. If you've been married only a short time, it may help put things into perspective, and if you've been married a long time it might explain some of the things you’ve wrestled with, leading you to nod in agreement. In any case, reading the first quote, and the others I added to go with it, cannot hurt! Enjoy!   “Marriage is the greatest instrument of sanctification. How would you ever learn unconditional love if you were married to someone who met all the conditions? How would you ever learn mercy, patience, long-suffering, heart-felt compassion if you were married to someone who never failed you? Who is never difficult with you? Who has never sinned against you? Who is never slow to ackno...

Dear Friends, Since today in March 17 (though you may not see this until tomorrow due to sending it out late) I thought I would send a post about Saint Patrick, the patron “saint” of Ireland who was neither Irish nor ever canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church! Likewise, although he is credited for driving all the snakes out of Ireland, there were none when he arrived! Today, with bits and pieces from a couple sources (Andrew Menkis “From Slave to Missionary” and “GotQuestions.org”) I offer some helpful facts about the man who is celebrated every March 17 in many countries. This "thought" is for those curious souls who like to be a little better informed. Enjoy. “Patrick was born to a wealthy family in AD 387 in Kilpatrick, Scotland, and died in Ireland on March 17, 461 at the age of 74. His real name was Maewyn Succat. His father Calpurnius was a Roman, as well as a Christian, and was a deacon in the church. Yet Patrick did not grow up believing in Christ. ...

Dear Friends, I found these two devotionals on opposite sides of a page torn from an “Our Daily Bread” booklet I had stuffed in my Bible long ago, which was originally mailed to me by my mom. I'm not sure of the exact year they appeared, thought the dates say Friday April 20, and Saturday April 21. If she mailed it to me, it’s because I was either in the Dominican Republic (1980-1982) or in Honduras (1994-2005). Checking when those dates lined up with a Friday and Saturday, it turned out it was 1999 (the only year it could have been) They are both good (obviously why she mailed them to me!) and therefore I pass them along to you. Enjoy. DON'T KILL TIME! Friday, April 20 Ephesians 5:1-17 “Author and lecturer John Erskine (1879-1951) declared that he learned the most valuable lesson of his life when he was 14 years old. His piano teacher asked him how much he practiced. He replied that he usually sat at the instrument for an hour or more at a time. "Don't do that,...

Dear Friends, There is much going on in our world that has many alarmed, saddened, conflicted, angry, and unsure what to think. Some posts I’ve seen online from prominent Christian leaders are speaking about this being the “end” leading to Christ’s return. Yet, as I was thinking about all that, I spotted a handout I use in premarital counselling on a pile on my desk. The heading is: “The 14 Traits of A Healthy Family.” It’s not a deflection from addressing all that’s going on, but a plea to remember that despite all that’s happening, there are still marriages or families that need help. There are families going through difficult times. There are children who still need direction. Children need to feel safe, see healthy relationships, and be taught healthy ways of responding or living in such stressful times – maybe even more so in these stressful times.   Therefore, I offer you these helpful insights to improve family health. They are the result of compiling a survey sent...

Dear Friends, Warmest regards to all on this day before the start of Lent, in the year of our Lord 2026! I hope your day is going well and you are (like me) counting down the days – 47 to be exact – until we get to celebrate Easter, or Resurrection Sunday. Lent is a longstanding tradition in Christian circles, and one that is useful if observed with a desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. Today’s entry is not specifically about Lent, although it points in that direction. It is the testimony of one man’s journey to faith in Jesus. A man who worked as a medical missionary in Madras, India, from 1836 until his death in 1855. I am sending it to you because when I walked into my office this morning, moved one book, and found a very small book hidden behind it! It is literally 2 inches wide by 3 inches high and 5/8 of an inch thick, with 214 pages! It’s an embossed leather-bound book, published by “The American Tract Society” in 1846. Its title is: “Provision for Passing ...

Dear Friends, As much as I try to be one who keeps politics out on the pulpit, or my teaching, if you live in the United States it is becoming harder not to address it. It fills the airwaves, social media posts, news station reports, and conversations at the cafeteria, gym, workplace and home. Each source and person has their own particular slant, and to totally ignore the conversation is to be out of touch. Therefore, the “thought” I share today (which was sent to me this morning by a friend) I pass along to you. I do so because his words struck a chord in me. Not everyone will agree. I know that and accept whatever consequences or feedback I will receive because of it. After all, when does total agreement on everything ever happen nowadays? (Though as one who has studied much history, I know it's more than naïve to suggest there was ever a time when everyone agreed on everything.)  Yet, that be as it may, I offer you this post by a man named James Bell, a pastor from Michigan....