Rite of passage: The Hand of God
When I was growing up, I attended Sunday school and participated in Sunday-night Bible studies where each week, as a young teenager, I had to teach one part of the lesson. I went to church camp, Bible drills and of course, revivals. Those were all good things, but what captured my heart was seeing and experiencing the hand of God. I was there when our church prayed for a man in our community who was a drunkard. In those days, we...
Rite of passage: Purposeful play
Since the birth of Titus the Honorable, I have become more childlike. Yes, I am the old man stepping carefully through our backyard, wearing a bandana and carrying a water gun. My 3 1/2-year-old grandson and I are on the lookout for predators. Of course, he is much more adept at seeing the tigers, snakes and elephants than I am. That child has an incredible imagination, and we play well together. At this juncture of his life, I am...
Rite of passage: Flat feet and amazing grace
When I get to heaven, I am going to look up the Apostle Paul. I have been intrigued by what he refers to as a “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Cor. 12:7. Throughout the ages, there have been many thoughts about what this thorn in the flesh could have been. Paul goes on to say he even prayed three times for God to remove it, but He didn’t. Some say his affliction was that he was nearly blind and it was hard for him to write. Others say he had...
Rite of passage: Weebles and whacks
I am currently in Dallas, training 80 student missionaries who will soon leave for Peru, The Gambia and Panama. A number of these are alumni returning for their eighth mission tour, and then there those who are first-time missionaries. I can instantly tell which ones are on their first mission trip and which ones are veterans. First-time missionaries always pack way too much. Have you ever see the children’s toys called “Weebles”? The...
Rite of passage: The road to Utopia
Recently, I had a special wedding to attend. I guess all weddings are special, but not to me. This one was, though. Two of our Awe Star missionaries, Amy Web and Justin Armbrister, were getting married. Not only have the bride and groom served with us, but the father of the bride has also served with me in Mexico. My wife and I knew it would be a special time. When I got the wedding invitation, I noticed that Justin and Amy were...
Rite of passage: Chicken lips, snake legs & Jesus
I know some people whom the world has called crazy, but I would rather think of them as creative. There is a fine line between being creative and being crazy. I am still trying to determine which category I fall into. I have been labeled both. One of my creative friends, who shall remain nameless, told me a story which he now claims he never told. I guess this will either protect the innocent or the guilty, whichever one applies. It...
