I’m fortunate to pastor one of those churches where you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen in a church service. You don’t know what God is going to do, nor for the fact of the matter – what people are going to do. Some people may be uncomfortable with that format, but I’ve discovered that you can’t put God in a box. God doesn’t always move in predictable methods – nor do people.

In a church service recently a little girl, who sometimes is a little rambunctious, slipped out the door and went down the steps to the mailbox. Down the aisle of the sanctuary she came toward the pulpit – her face beaming – she raised her arm with a fist full of mail and announced, “Preacher, you’ve got mail!”

Do you want to succeed and prosper in whatever you do? Only a fool doesn’t want to succeed in life. The Word of God provides us with the wisdom we need to succeed and be a winner. Jesus said when he was tempted by the devil, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). As you study and apply the inspired Word of God to your life you can be assured of success God’s way. (Joshua 1; II Timothy 2:15, 3:16)

It hit me personally almost a decade ago. As I drove into the parking lot, a wooden cutout of an old black crow and a bouquet of black balloons dancing in the wind greeted me. They announced to the world and reminded me, as if I needed reminded, of who was “over the hill”. Many have encountered the same revelation or questioning of themselves that I did that day. Some call it a “mid-life crisis”. We wonder what we really have achieved in life that is significant. Some are disappointed that their goals and expectations were not realized. Others perhaps reached their goals but wonder what’s left in life.

I could not help but notice the family sitting next to me in the restaurant one day. The harried looking mother was trying to corral her rambunctious preschoolers and get them to eat. Suddenly one of the little girls spilled her milk. As the milk ran over the table, spilling onto the floor the mother yelled, in exasperation, “You’re a bad girl! Now sit there until everyone else finishes.”

It was all I could do to restrain myself as I looked at the sobbing littler girl and the angry mother. I wanted so much to tell the mother that her little girl was not a bad girl for spilling her milk. Perhaps she needed reassurance that she was loved and that she should be more careful the next time. Would the little girl grow up thinking that every time she spilled her milk or made a mistake that she was bad, no good, worthless, or unloved?

It only takes surviving a hurricane, a fierce gale of wind at sea, a destructive tornado, or an earthquake to make one a believer in the power of mother nature. The disciples of Jesus knew what it was to face a fierce gale of wind and monster waves while trying to row a small boat at sea. On two separate occasions they encountered a storm at sea. In Matthew 14:24 the gospel tells us that “the boat was already many stadia away from land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary”. The disciples were straining at the oars.

As I walked up the street with my golden retriever, I saw her standing in front of the small village post office. She was looking up at the sun through her fingers. I could tell she was probably autistic. When she saw my golden retriever, she looked at us through the slits in her fingers. “Does it bite?” she asked. “No, she loves people”, I replied. Coming closer, she asked if she could pet her. “Sure,” I replied, “Her name is Miki. What’s your name?” “Candie,” she said, as a smile brightened her face. “That’s a sweet name,” I told her. “You can pet Miki while I go into the post office for a minute.” When I returned, we said goodbye to Candie and went on our way.

It seems that the storms and stresses of life throughout the world have increased exponentially sense that dreadful day of 9/11. In fact Jesus said that in the end times, “men’s hearts would fail them for fear of those things that are coming upon the earth” (Luke 21:26). In Matthew 24 Jesus gave some future signs that would point to and precede His return to earth. He referred to this time as “the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:8). He described it as being like a woman in labor pains. Could we be in “the beginning of sorrows” that will usher in the triumphant return of Jesus Christ to planet earth?

It is the most life altering walk of history. Hollywood has its “Walk of the Stars” – the walk of the rich and the famous. The one who walked the road of the “Via Dolorosa” (The Way of Suffering) walked a lonely road. Over 2,000 years ago Jesus Christ walked the gauntlet of reproach, rejection, and suffering, carrying his cross up Golgotha’s hill to be crucified outside the city of Jerusalem.

Because Christ’s Passion was accomplished in a specific geographic and historic place, thousands of pilgrims have journeyed to the Holy Land to follow the steps of the Savior that he walked that day up the “Via Dolorosa”.

On a wonderful fall morning I sat on our backyard swing wondering where all the beautiful birds were. On the ground below our birdfeeders was a flock of sparrows joyously feeding in the grass. I’ve honestly never been too excited about sparrows. They seem so common, colorless, and, you know – ordinary. This particular morning God began to speak to me about the sparrows.

Jesus drew the attention of his disciples to the sparrows. “’Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father knowing. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

“Everyone loves Thanksgiving except the turkey,” reads the marquis at a local real estate business. The first Thanksgiving in America was a simple but joyful celebration. After the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, the first winter the colony was decimated by exposure, sickness, and starvation. In the spring some friendly Native Americans taught them how to plant crops in the New World. In the fall they had an abundant harvest and decided to have a feast of thanksgiving to God. They invited their friends to celebrate with them. Tradition says that turkey was part of the thanksgiving feast.

A few years ago one of the funniest and exciting comedies was released entitled “The Princess Bride”. Westley, a poor stable boy, searches for TRUE LOVE. Blonde haired Buttercup was kidnapped and taken by evil Prince Humperdinck to be his Princess Bride. But through many perilous hardships Westley finds and save his true love.

The world hungers for true love. An old song says, “Love makes the world go around”. It certainly does. But what is TRUE LOVE? The common Greek word for love is “Eros”. It is not found in the New Testament. It refers to a sexual, selfish, appetitive love. “Philos” is another Greek word for love. It refers to esteem and affection. We are familiar with Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. The Apostle Paul used a word for God’s love – Agape. Agape is a self-giving love. It involves concerned commitment.

I must confess – as a child, I was afraid of the dark. I was especially afraid of things that go bump in the dark. A light in my bedroom would comfort me but my dad thought that it was unnecessary. At the time, we had a coal burning stove and occasionally I would have to go down the long dark path to the coal shed to fill the coal bucket in the middle of the night. I out ran the shadows and imaginary monsters in record time on my way back to the house. I still have a long scar on one arm from tripping over a hobgoblin. Surprisingly, I had no fear when my dad went with me and no monsters ever showed up.

I am on a quest for the perfect pillow. My philosophy is that the kind of pillow one uses determines, to a large degree, the quality of rest one has. So, I have been on a quest for the perfect pillow.

I have tried numerous pillows on my quest. I know how Goldilocks must have felt at the three bear’s home. “This one is too hard. This one is too soft! And this one is just right!” My wife likes a gigantic pillow about 18 inches thick. But it leaves me with a stiff neck. A “down” filled pillow feels good initially, but collapses in the middle before the night is done. I have tried a bone shaped pillow, a foam filled pillow, an air filled pillow, and a wedge shaped pillow. But my quest for the perfect pillow continues.

A young, single mother struggles to make ends meet. Two of her three children have severe medical problems. Nine year old, Evon is undergoing her second round of cancer treatments. Sometimes this mother feels so alone and tired, but she perseveres. What gives her the strength to carry on?

A young father grieves the death of his wife who died in the World Trade Center on the tragic day of September 11th. How can he go on without his beloved wife?

A young man runs for his life and hides in caves in the wilderness. The king has tried to kill him and has put out a “contract” on his life. How will God’s promises and plans ever be fulfilled in his life?

The first time I met Richard Wurmbrand was over 35 years ago at a Lutheran Church in Anoka, MN. Richard was sharing his testimony of being tortured for Christ and enduring years of imprisonment for his faith in Jesus. To this day I remember the angelic glow that radiated from his face as he shared how the Lord had sustained him through much suffering. Today Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship is offering reprinted copies of Richard Wurmbrand’s classic book Tortured For Christ.

What is the sense of suffering in the world? Young lives are snuffed out by a drunk driver, grieving family members stand by the grave of their loved one and ask the age old question – why? Crying children and a brokenhearted wife sit in the cold and confusion of the after math of a broken marriage and a shattered family.

From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden up to the present time through tears we still ask, “Why do bad things happen, even to good people?” Many have become estranged in their relationship with God because of this one issue. But instead of asking why bad things happen, we would do better to ask, “How should we respond to suffering?” How does God respond to tragedy and suffering?

There is a secret place and a secret power unknown and untapped by most people today. Jesus lived and taught by this secret power. He revealed this secret and assures us, “But you, when you pray, go into your room and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6 NKJV).

A recent survey revealed that over 90% of Americans say that they pray on a regular basis or at least occasionally.

The pilgrim fathers of America came to a bountiful land. The first winter was harsh and they were ill prepared to survive in the wilderness. Over half of them perished from the cold, hunger, or disease. With the help of some kind Native American Indians, they were taught to grow corn and squash and to hunt for wild game to make provision through the year. The next fall they celebrated with a feast to show their gratitude to their new friends and to offer thanks to God for their bountiful harvest.

Our founding fathers openly recognized God.

Christmas is about giving. God gave His greatest gift – the gift of His only begotten son. “That whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

The wise men from the east followed his star to Bethlehem. When they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell down and worshipped him. Then they brought their treasures and opened them. The wise men presented unto the Lord gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) The gold was fit for a king, the frankincense for our high priest of the new covenant, and the myrrh speaks of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.

Bethany, IL is a small but lovely community with rolling hills. There’s a spacious hilltop cemetery just across the street from the church our son pastors. Every Memorial Day at the statute of a Civil War soldier the American Legion hosts a ceremony honoring veterans. My grandson Elijah was quite impressed with the whole ceremony. “I like the part where we salute the flag and the honor guard shoots at the soldier statute. But they haven’t hit it yet,” he said. I still chuckle when I see that Civil War soldier statute.

Grandpa Os had a fruit stand where he sold peaches, apples, and melons. He was an expert in testing the ripeness of a watermelon. He would thump it with his thumb. If a customer was not convinced, he would offer to plug the melon. He would cut out a triangular plug from the watermelon and have the customer taste how ride it was. I never knew him to plug an unripe watermelon. The thumping told him when it was ripe and good for eating.

Have you been thumped lately? God allows testing and difficult situations to develop our character and bring us closer to him.

They are God’s special people. I constantly see that amazing affirmation. As I conducted the church service at Warren G. Murray Children’s Center, I was once again reminded of that fact. I came to the part of the service when I give opportunity for any one who may want to sing a song. A young man indicated that he had a song. From past experience, I asked, “Is this a church song?” “Yes,” he replied. The young man took the microphone and began to sing, “Mary had a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb. Mary had a little lamb. Its fleece was white as snow.”

One of my favorite activities during Christmas is viewing the lights of Christmas. Some light displays are gaudy and some are godly. Some are comical and some are colorful. Some are commercial and some celebrate Christmas. Some are illustrious and inspiring. Some are brilliant and some are blinking. Some are radiant and some reflect. Some are hilarious and some shine on holiness.

God lit up the darkness of creation with the light of the sun, moon, and stars. He spoke of deliverance to Moses form a burning bush. God directed the wise men to the Christ of Christmas by a guiding star. After all “God is light”. He dwells in unapproachable light. “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights” (James 1:17).

Most Americans are collectors. My wife and I have a collection of lighthouses. Some of my most memorable vacations have been touring some of America’s lighthouses. Until recent years the keeper of the lighthouse was a key element in its operation. Many lighthouse keepers would take a lifeboat out into perilous waters to rescue victims of shipwrecks. Kate Walker, a widow whose husband had been the light keeper of the Robbin’s Reef lighthouse in New York Harbor, rescued more than 50 fishermen in distress over the years. In addition to taking care of the lighthouse, which she tended until she was 73 years old, she raised two sons, rowing them a mile each day to Staten Island so that they could attend school.

What comes to your mind when you think of a knight? Younger people may think of a Jedi from Star Wars. But knights of old were known for chivalry, bravery, honor, and loyalty. The lore of knighthood taught society much about a code of conduct that seems lacking in today’s culture and society.

One of the most popular and inspiring musicals produced by a multitude of thespians over the years is “Man of La Mancha”. Most Americans are familiar with the song the man of La Mancha sings, “To Dream the Impossible Dream”. He meets Aldonza, the prostitute, and calls her, “My lady! And I give you a new name – Dulcinea.”