Noah, my grandson, is adept at throwing a boomerang. If it misses its target, it will circle around back to him. The boomerang is most commonly associated with the Aborigines of Australia. The Aborigines use it for hunting as well as a weapon. Its bent or angular shape can be thrown in a way so as to return to or near its starting point. When I was a child I had a boomerang that was basically ornamental. I could never get it to come back to me.

Perhaps you have heard the saying, “What goes around comes around.” But throughout the Bible we find that God has a law or principle that is even more precise

I’ve come to realize that the millions of welcome mats adorning the stoops of homes in America do not always mean a whole lot. Years ago I tried my hand as a door-to-door salesman selling an array of products. Many pulled the welcome mat in before I could ever make a presentation. I understand their reticence. I was not very successful as a door-to-door salesman. I guess I just don’t like being where I’m not welcome Not everyone puts out the welcome mat for Jesus. Surprisingly Jesus was not welcomed everywhere he went.

When our grandkids visit us, they enjoy hiking the trails overlooking Lake Shelbyville. On a recent excursion my wife led them on a hike through Eagle Creek State Park. They had to learn to trust and follow their leader. Fortunately she only had four kids in her charge – Moses had over a million people to lead out of Egypt, through the wilderness, and into the promise land. That hike took 40 years.

Moses was selected and saw God’s deliverance because he was a good follower. But even more so Moses had a good leader.

Creation declares God’s glory! The deep, blue ocean, majestic mountain peaks, fertile valleys, bubbling brooks, and icy glaciers sing of God’ glory! The twinkling stars and far lung galaxies speak of how awesome God is. Man was created with eternity in his soul. Names of places like Easter Island, Resurrection Bay in Alaska, and Corpus Christi remind us of the source of man’s hope – the One who is not only the Creator of all things but resurrection and life itself.

Ancient Job asked, “If a man dies will he live again?” Jesus assured a grief stricken woman mourning the death of her only brother,

My father died of cancer when he was 52 years old. At my age now, 52 seems such a relative young age. My father left a legacy of hard work, honesty, and goodness. On Father’s Day we remember and honor our fathers and the legacy they have left us. What legacy are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? I hope and pray that I leave a lasting spiritual legacy for my children and grandchildren.

One of the most revered fathers in the Bible is Abraham. Miraculously, Abraham and Sara were enabled by God to have the promised child when he was 100 and she was 90.

We can take a lesson from Charlie Brown from the classic “Peanuts” cartoon. When trouble, disappointment, or loss was encountered, a favorite expression was “Good Grief”. When I first heard that expression from someone I remarked, “Grief is not good.” I was wrong. Grief can be good or bad depending on how we handle it. Everyone will experience grief sometime in their life. Grief that is denied or stuffed inside can result in spiritual, emotional, or physical illness. But good grief can have many benefits. How can you experience the benefits of good grief?

Tehya is a little black Yorkie-Poo full of energy and love. My daughter-in-law Debbie found her huddled against a storage unit in the mountains of Wyoming where they live. The veterinarian surmised that someone had thrown her from a moving vehicle along the interstate nearby. Her shivering body was covered with road burns and she was sore and stiff. Debbie, Chris, and Taet adopted her and named her Tehya which means “precious” in Iroquois.

Perhaps Tehya was unwanted and thrown away. But Debbie saw her and she became Tehya – “precious”.

A century ago crosses dotted the landscape across America. Today many churches do not display the cross on their buildings and city governments have tried to ban the cross on public property. Our founding fathers would be chagrined to see this happen. It’s the cross that made the difference between victory or defeat, hope or hopelessness, eternal life or perdition. History is divided by B. C. and A. D. There are those who want to do away with that significance but it is the cross that made the difference.

The gospel is the finished work of Christ on the cross.

One of my uncles had a tattoo of an anchor emblazoned on his arm. I admired that emblem. As a boy I toyed with the thought of one day having my own anchor tattoo. The closest I ever came was a tattoo out of a Cracker-Jack box. I later realized that I was more fascinated with the purpose and function of an anchor.

Anchors come in many sizes and weights. Some are a few pounds and some are a few tons in weight. All anchors though serve essentially the same purpose – to catch hold of the bottom of the deep and hold the ship in place. Without an anchor a ship could not be held in place. The wind and waves would drive it along. The anchor gives stability.

Many great men have come out of the discipline and hardships of a soldier’s life. Some like General George Washington, Stonewall Jackson, and General Lew Wallace have been devout men of prayer and faith. General Lew Wallace went on to write one of the greatest classics of American literature – Ben Hur.

Of course, many soldiers and sailors have become known for cruelty, profanity, and hard living. But the Word of God shares with us a soldier’s story that is unique and inspiring. Heroism arises in the time of war. In Acts 10 we see one soldier’s story who became a hero of faith and devotion in God’s eyes.

I became acquainted with Bailey the Bassett Hound when our son Chip asked me to dog sit his two dogs for a few days. Their newly acquired Bassett Hound is not your normal dog though. Bailey has an uncommon outlook on life. She takes an open window or door as a ready invitation for an adventuresome romp. Bailey is passionate about her freedom to explore the world. Her wide repertoire of barking, sad-sack eyes, long floppy ears, short and crooked front legs, long body, and big powerful nose lend themselves to many predicaments.

There is a new breathtaking sight along the highway near where I live. Scattered across a lush green meadow is a flock of white wooly sheep grazing contentedly. The beautiful sight seems out of place but a welcome treat to the usual landscape of herds of cattle. Spring is in the air and the grazing sheep speak to me of hope and new life.

When I was in my youth I worked with cattle but didn’t have the opportunity to be around sheep. Sheep were not common in the part of the country where I grew up. One thing I do know about sheep is that sheep receive more attention in the Bible than any other animal.

It was a fun drive through Wolf Creek State Park. It’s one of my grandkid’s favorite activities when they come to visit us. This early spring evening we were counting the abundant deer and listening to the croaking of frogs. Suddenly I pointed out a large owl perched on the top of a telephone pole. It was perhaps a Great Horned Owl. Rarely do you see one so close to the road and this early in the evening.

For many people an owl is an emblem of wisdom. Not because they are a particularly intelligent bird but the formation of its head allows the eyes to look straight forward like those of a man.

Grandma’s spring cleaning mode always amazed me. After a long winter it was time to haul everything out of the house and clean top to bottom. I remember helping her tug and tote the lumpy and heavy goose feather mattress outside and throw it over the double clothesline. Next came the heavy carpets which were draped over the clothesline and beaten with carpet beaters to get all the dust out. All the windows were opened wide to air the house out and let the sunshine in. The floors would be mopped with Pine-Sol and smell fresh and airy for weeks.

For centuries the Jewish people have done a spring cleaning.

Super Bowl XLII was one of the greatest upsets in the history of football. With only one minute 15 seconds left in the game New York Giants wide receiver David Tyree caught a 32-yard pass that helped his team win a surprise victory over the undefeated New England Patriots. David Tyree’s catch was perhaps one of the biggest plays in Super Bowl history. Tyree jumped higher than he had ever jumped before and trapped the ball against the back portion of his helmet. “It felt like it was destiny,” Tyree said, “I never rocked. I knew God would do what He said He was going to do.”

Some people refer to the comic strips as the “educational” section of the newspaper. I’ve always enjoyed the classic “Peanuts” by Charles Schultz. One of my favorites shows Charlie Brown at the beach building a beautiful sandcastle. As he stands back to admire his work, it is suddenly wiped out by a huge wave. Looking at the smooth mound of sand that had once been his creation, he says, “There must be a lesson here, but I don’t know what it is.”

Many times when we are in the middle of the raging storms of adversity we are so consumed by the events that we become bewildered and miss the lesson God intends for us to learn.

Dr. David Jeremiah tells the story of Mary Burns. Allow me to paraphrase it. Mary had a very unique testimony. Whenever she met someone she would ask, “Do you believe in Easter?” At her doctor’s office she would ask people if they believed in Easter. Many replied, “Oh, yes. I celebrate Easter.” “Yes, but have you experienced the living Jesus of Easter in your heart?” she would ask.

One day Mary’s doctor sadly informed her that she had cancer. “Don’t be sad for me,” Mary said to her doctor. “I believe in Easter. The living Jesus lives in my heart and I have eternal life.” Eventually Mary was hospitalized. With a radiant smile she asked anyone who came into her room if they believed in Easter.

My grandma’s baked goods were out of this world. Part of her baking secret, I think, could be that she always used plain vanilla instead of imitation vanilla. She used fresh straight-up ingredients.

The Apostle Paul’s speech was straight-up plain vanilla. I had to chuckle when I read what he said to the church at Corinth, “We have depended on God’s grace, not our human wisdom . . . Our letters have been straight-forward and there is nothing written between the lines and nothing you can’t understand” (II Corinthians 1:12-13 NLT).

My brother Terry discovered that “Black-Cat” firecrackers can be dangerous. Like most Americans my family celebrated Independence Day with gusto, some with more gusto than others, if you know what I mean. The annual 4th of July parade and celebration in Herrick, IL brings back fond memories. I still remember when Terry lit a “Black-Cat” and threw it on the sidewalk. It fizzled and went silent.

Thinking it was a dud, Terry picked it up and “BOOM!” It exploded in his hand. Fortunately it didn’t blow a finger off but it did turn his fingers black for awhile.

I enjoy listening to young theologians. I’ve heard some interesting discussions and gained valuable insight and perspective from them. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines theology as “1) The study of religious faith, practice, and experience; esp.: the study of God and God’s relationship to the world . . .”

I recently had two young theologians riding in the car with me – my two 6 year old grandsons Taet and Noah – who were buckled in their car seats. Their conversation caught my attention when out of the blue they began a theological discussion after Taet finished singing a song.

Our Catholic friend greatly admired her priest. “He is such a kind and caring man,” she said. He is extremely busy but always has time to listen to you and he is a man of prayer.” Another friend recently expressed her disillusionment with her priest. Because of his moral failings she said that she had not been to church for several years. But let me tell you about my priest.

He also is so kind and caring. He prays powerfully for me daily. The one thing that stands out about my priest in that he is totally holy and righteous and though he was tempted, he never sinned.

Americans live in a land of abundance and yet so much is wasted. I believe it was the writer of Poor Richard’s Almanac who quoted the Puritan proverb “waste not – want not”. God our creator values all things. In Jesus’ miracle of multiplication we see the heart of God. In John 6:1-15 a lad gave his meager lunch to Jesus. Jesus took those five loaves and two fishes and miraculously fed over 5,000 men plus women and children. Twelve baskets of food were left over. Jesus told his disciples to gather up the fragments “so that nothing is wasted” (John 6:12 NLT).

Valentine’s Day affords another opportunity to express our love to those we hold dear. There are many ways to show love and appreciation to your sweetheart. But the important thing is that love be expressed in a language that speaks to their heart. After all, God expressed His love for us in a language understood by all mankind. “But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 NKJV). That’s love in any language. In his book The Five Love Languages Dr. Gary Chapman writes about the importance of expressing

America is a very religious society. In Post Modern America, most people believe all religions are equally valid. They believe there are as many gods (pluralism) as man wishes to invent for himself, with no one god being superior. As long as you do not say there is only one way to eternal life or heaven, our post modern society will accept you. They consider god to be a development of one’s culture, a manufactured god; thus, one god is as good as another and we are told that we must not say there is only one God. They do not accept any objective standard for truth.

As we continue to focus on renewal, strive to turn your heart so that the Lord comes to have first place in everything. Paul presents this powerfully in Colossians 1:18, “He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.” There it is: “first place in everything.” Jesus Christ is the preeminent Person in the universe: He is the Person who came to earth to suffer and die. He is One who has loved and given Himself for the body. He is the One who died to establish the church.