No Pain, No Gain

Coaches used to tell us, “no pain, no gain”. They meant that unless we endured the suffering of practices, we wouldn’t reap the rewards come gametime. Muscles are built through repeated use under stress. Maturity comes through right reactions to the problems of life, thus building character into our lives. Romans 5:3-5 says, “More thanContinue reading “No Pain, No Gain”

Uphill, Downhill, and Level Ground

Recently, I hiked several trails in the mountains of a national park. All the trails were surrounded by majestic beauty. The uphill portions of the trails were slow going and quickly drained my energy. The downhill portions of the trails were easier and quicker in many ways, but they were also more dangerous as itContinue reading “Uphill, Downhill, and Level Ground”

By Word and Deed

Court room witnesses testify to what they saw or heard. They are sworn to tell the truth. It takes no special skill or power to be this type of witness. However, to be a witness for Jesus Christ, and tell others what the truth, we do need a special power. That power comes in theContinue reading “By Word and Deed”

Sources of Joy

Two sources of joy came together for me this week. In the first, we are going to watch our grandson play in the state high school all star football game tonight. The joy is not in the pride of our grandson’s achievements, but rather in watching him enjoy something that means a lot to him.Continue reading “Sources of Joy”