From those ashes rose the resilient city that would produce Ellery Theodore “Ted” Hicks. Born March 18, 1917, almost a year to the day after the devastating fire, Ted was himself destined to be a man on fire.
Category: Faith
A Scarlet Letter Written by Bloody Hands
A Scarlet Letter Written by Bloody Hands by Gene Strother To Err is Human, to Forgive Divine Read on Substack
Good Friday? Says who?
Audio Version The Christian world celebrates this day, the Friday before Easter Sunday, as “Good Friday.” It is the day we remember the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as recorded by the four gospel authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. If we had been among Jesus’ followers on that Friday (or Thursday, or Wednesday, depending on…
That Other Place – a tale of grace
This is a tale of grace. It is Sunday morning, and I am driving to a speaking engagement. That is not an unusual thing. Well, it is a little unusual these days but in the totality of my life, it is not. Hundreds of times, I have done that very thing early on a Sunday…
Grave Troubles Be Gone: True Love Never Dies
She’s living proof true love never dies. from Living Proof by Ricky Van Shelton It’s a mystery I can’t explain why,We pay so little heed to the time flying by.It’s a plain simple truth, the surest I’ve knownIt’s a short time here; it’s a long time gone. We’re busy with things that don’t even countNever…
Why Me, Lord: the unexpected theology lesson from Kris Kristofferson
Saying I grew up in a conservative Baptist church is the same kind of understatement as saying Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups®are the perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter. We were suspicious of conservatives who adhered to fewer “standards” than we did…and those standards were high, let me tell you. Why me Lord, what have…
Remembering Rayburn: A trip down memory lane
Dr. Rayburn Blair Eloquence and influence I have been in Tallahassee, Florida two weeks today. Hurricane Michael plowed through Florida narrowly missing its capital (leaving only scattered and mostly minor damage in the city). The ravaged coastal area of Panama City and Mexico Beach, however, are not far from here. So, here I am, doing…
A word of encouragement…
Please, as you seek to make your mark on the world, as you decide what sort of influence you will be on those whose lives you touch, do not overlook the role of Encourager. Encouragement empowers those who feel powerless. Encouragement improves the outlook of those in distress. Encouragement leaves an indelible impression on the…
PONDERING WHILE WANDERING – SUMMER VACATION 2018 | Part Two: Norman Rockwell, America! Lost and Found…
After a long and mostly sleepless night, Donya and I woke Sunday morning surprisingly refreshed and resolved to make the most of the next seven days. I had mapped out the places we wanted to visit. First up, Stockbridge, MA, and the Norman Rockwell Museum. America! Lost and Found… Norman Rockwell has always been a…
If there is no Easter, then what?
So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NLT) But tell me this ”since we preach that Christ rose from…
The Bible and the Butterfly Effect
Truthfully, my first introduction to The Butterfly Effect as a theory was when I watched the2004 movie by that name. I became intrigued and did a little research whenever I thought of it. Dabbled here and there like I do with most philosophical intrigues I encounter. Encountering the notion again this week, I determined to…
My Faithful Valentine: a story of love
Last night Donya asked if I remembered what I gave her on that first Valentine’s Day we spent together. I did, sort of. I remembered I gave her a blouse or a dress or some such. (I am sure the mountainous, volatile, protective Tommy Weir was thrilled that the big-eared kid with the silk shirts…
The sun shines…even when it doesn’t
Some trips are for business; others are for pleasure. This was neither. Having just come off a lengthy business trip that also included times of fun and relaxation, my wife and I landed at DFW early Thursday morning, only to leave Friday afternoon on a trip both of us wished was not necessary. We learned…
Thoughts on the New Year (and the old): Seven ways to say goodbye to 2017 and welcome 2018
Some are saying goodbye to 2017. Others are saying good riddance. In our little corner of Creation, 2017 has been a tough year. Early on, our daughter fought for her very life, battling an infection that refused to yield to treatment after treatment. She spent a month in the hospital. Dear, sweet friends lost their…
God for Dummies – Can you believe if you don’t understand? | Morning Manna
[Copied and edited from my Morning Manna daily email devotional, 2000 – 2005] GOD FOR DUMMIES Can you believe if you don’t understand? Friday, November 3, 2000 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isa. 55:9 (KJV) I don’t…
Out on a Limb – A Devotional | Morning Manna
OUT ON A LIMB WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000 Jesus was going through the city of Jericho. A man was there named Zacchaeus, who was a very important tax collector, and he was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but he was not able because he was too short to see above the crowd….
Five-Legged Dogs – A Devotional | Morning Manna
The following was originally written as part of a daily email devotional, which I wrote from 2000 – 2005. FIVE-LEGGED DOGS Friday, October 31, 2003 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall…
The gospel according to Hank …and Holly
I grew up with a Bible in my hand and big chunks of it systematically planted in my heart and mind. For that, I am grateful. Every sermon I ever heard about the poor, wandering, lost sinner sounded eerily like this: I’m a rollin’ stone all alone and lost For a life of sin, I…
The Darndest Things – or – the wisdom of the child
“Kids say the darndest things.” You know it. I know it. We love it. Back when he was one of America’s most beloved and cherished comics, Bill Cosby demonstrated this fact in a TV series by that name (it ran 1998 – 2000). Art Linkletter ran the original “Kids Say the Darndest Things” as a…
Dear Mom, Thanks for the benefit of the doubt
I woke up this morning thinking about my mother…Mom, I call her. I think it was the residual thoughts of a dream I dreamt, but it slipped into the recesses of subconscious and disappeared in the fog of fading memory. I can no longer confirm that I dreamed of her or dreamed at all. At…