How can you have an influence on a place you've never been? As a missionary, I have had the privilege of preaching and teaching across the globe. I recently led a team that took the Gospel to the jungles of Panama. Sometimes I think I'm more at...

Summer is here, and it is time to get some things done around the house and yard. All winter, my wife dreams of things she wants me to do when summer arrives. The longer the winter, the longer the list. And our Oklahoma winters mean my list is...

Garage sales are demonic. Maybe not demonic, but they can't be more than a step from the edge of the abyss. No one in his right (or even his left) mind would hold a garage sale without the evil influence of a force from below. I'm blowing off...

The little Morton Salt girl was right: when it rains, it pours. Our family rarely has one big event at a time. Instead, we have several that collide and send reverberations that echo for miles. Last spring, days before the wedding of our youngest...

I have been truly scared only two times in my life. The first happened more than 30 years ago. I was a new husband and an even newer father. As you moms and dads all know, it is hard for young parents to know when their child is genuinely ill. My...

In my elementary school years, our family lived out in the country between Buckner and Independence, Mo. We didn't live on a farm, but they surrounded our house. We attended Six Mile Baptist, a tiny white church with the typical cemetery in the...

I have a story for you. It's not a fairy tale or a made-up story. Instead, it's a true story about a man, his God and a dream. The man's name is Rick. Rick is an in-your-face, loud-talking Italian. On Dec. 23, 2002, in the middle of the night, he...

A series of "And that's when the fight started" jokes has been floating around the Internet. Allow me to share a few: • My wife walked into the den and asked "What's on the TV?" I replied, "Dust." And that's when the fight started.

When you talk about a family, you are not only talking about mom, dad and children, but grandparents, too. More and more, it seems as though today's culture has diminished the value of senior adults and especially the impact grandparents can have...

How do you bless your family after your children are grown? Now that both my sons are married, my wife and I want to take them and our daughters-in-love on a family vacation. Since I'm a missionary, I don't have the wealth of the world in my bank...

I am not a crier, I am not a crier, I AM NOT A CRIER!

I have done short-term mission work in Mexico for more than 30 years now. It began soon after I graduated from Hannibal LaGrange College. I had just finished my Associate of Arts degree when I was called to be on staff at First Church, Quitman,...

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You" (Psalm 119:9-11).

A dear friend of mine has three young daughters. Take any of them one at a time, and she is fun to be with; pair them up, and they will still be delightful; but put all three of them together and . . . you'd better make sure your life insurance is...

When my wife was a freshman in high school, the local Southern Baptist college, Hannibal LaGrange, had a Booster Banquet to raise funds. Her mother was an employee at the college, and the two attended the banquet together.

A little more than three years ago, BJ Higgins, one of our student missionaries, willingly laid down his life at only 15 years of age. Many of you prayed for him during his six-week hospitalization. Six months after his death, his father, Brent,...

I hate birds. I apologize to all you bird lovers. I don't know whether I really hate birds or if they just make me extremely uncomfortable.

Lately, I've been a little concerned about my health. I went to the eye doctor, and he told me I have a slight cataract. Now, there are certain words and phrases you don't like to hear from your doctor during an exam. You don't want to hear, "Oh,...

Some of my most vivid childhood memories come from our many family vacations. You notice I didn't say "fond" memories but "vivid" ones. Since we were poor, our vacations always consisted of camping out. I never knew we were poor. I just thought...

Winter has set in here in Tulsa, and we know it will be awhile before Mister Sun hangs around long enough to warm the Earth. On a cold night, nothing is more comforting than sitting close to the fireplace hearth, feet propped up, listening to the...

This fall, I celebrated the 35th anniversary of my ordination in ministry. As part of the program, I received a huge surprise from Bob Nigh of the Baptist Messenger: my 500th article mounted on a beautiful plaque. I want to thank the Messenger...

Does anyone really care about New Year's resolutions? If so, their concern doesn't usually last longer than Jan. 4. That's exactly one day longer than I thought about my own New Year's resolutions last year, not to mention anyone else's.

Have you experienced it yet? Sooner or later, it comes to all parents: that one fleeting moment when you feel tremendous pride in your children . . . until the next instant, when they open their tiny mouths and take it all away.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for teenagers. I know what you're thinking: "How can you use the words teenagers and thankful in the same sentence?" I would like to tell you a true and wonderful story. Anabel Badillo, director of missions for...

Have you noticed? Now that Halloween is past, it's beginning to look a lot like . . . Christmas. Here in Tulsa, every store greets you with glittering trees and colored lights. I heard the first carol of the season the other day when my wife and I...

To begin this week's article, I want to give a shout-out to Jack and Sarah Goosetree from Gillette, Wyo. As I travel across this great land, I am amazed at how many non-Okies read the Baptist Messenger. Last weekend, I spoke at the Goosetrees'...

Some of Jesus' greatest teaching occurred when His disciples least expected it. It seems to me He liked to share key truths, not at a designated hour or place, but at random, unexpected times and locations. I believe He still teaches that way....

I know many of you parents are expecting this article to address "Halloween: The Biblical Stance" or "A Christian Perspective on Participating in or Simulating a Pagan Celebration." I thought about tackling these topics, but I didn't want to steal...

It's a funny thing: you can't become a grandparent until a grandchild arrives. I don't have any grandkids, yet, and that causes me some concern. My wife and I got married while we were young, but our sons both waited awhile. As a result, many of...

My name is Walker Moore, and I don't know how to text message. There, I finally said it. A man who has spent most of his life working with young people can't text message. One of our students tells me that if I want to communicate with this...

I love the scene in the movie "Shrek" where Shrek and Donkey are talking about who they are. Shrek finally gets frustrated and tells Donkey that he is like an onion: he has many layers.

There are two types of heroes. First, there are the ones who generate national attention, such as Michael Phelps and many other Olympians. The record books are full of people such as this who have accomplished amazing things. Yet there are also...

Like you, I was captivated by the excitement of the Beijing Olympics. I'm not a dyed-in-the-wool sports fan. I know many of you men enjoy any kind of sport. You watch game after game and enjoy sitting around with your men-friends to analyze the...

'Tis the season . . . for children to head back to school. A friend once told me that school is the smartest place in the world. The children come the first day thinking they know everything and leave the last day knowing nothing. Somewhere in...

Communication: what a challenge! Relationships rise and fall on our ability to communicate what we think, what we feel and what we desire.

Forty-two days, eight hours, 33 minutes and 27 seconds . . . until my wife and I begin our vacation. I have a counter on my computer that keeps track of the day, hours, minutes and seconds until vacation time. When I was growing up, our family...

In my 10-plus years of writing this column, I have never recommended a single movie to my readers. I will change that . . . today. Recently, I had the privilege of being among the first to see the movie "Fireproof." I belong to a wonderful...

The other night, my wife and I were meeting another couple for dinner. I wanted to be on my best behavior. I wanted to make a good impression-on them and on . . . my wife.

I swore I wasn't going to write another article that mentioned the price of gasoline. It was more like taking an oath than actually swearing . . . although I admit that I have come close to that when I paid more than $4 a gallon to fill up my car.

Today's high gas prices are finally causing us to rethink some of our driving habits. We are combining trips and doing whatever we can to cut back on unnecessary travel. A pastor friend of mine tells me the costs have risen so much that he doubles...