Recently, while having dinner with our son and his family, our 4 year old grandson, Noah, turned to my wife and said, “Grandma, you’ll never be lost because God is always with you!” Perhaps he had experienced being lost or learned a new truth.

Have you ever been lost? If you know and trust God, you’ll never be lost because God is always with you. Like Noah, you can experience God’s promises. “For he hath said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you’” (Hebrews 13:5). “And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).

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.

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?

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.

Perhaps the experts are too prone to categorize the youth generation into a neat stereotypical box. I have never been fond of labels personally, possibly because I never seemed to fit into the prescribed order of things. In the past youth “experts” have described the “baby boomer generation”, the “busters”, “generation x”, and the “y generation” population. The new generation of youth has so many “sub-culture” types, that many youth workers realize that one blanket statement could not begin to describe this generation.

When interviewed most teens seemed to share a common sense of searching as in previous generations. Acceptance seemed to be a common desire.

Too many have traversed the minefield of trial marriages. Multitudes of couples have been deceived and scarred by the experience. Scores have shed bitter tears resulting from trial marriages.

In a program called, “True Love Waits,” thousands of teens have signed public pledges that they will practice sexual abstinence until marriage.

Rush Limbaugh sent a cameraman out on the streets to report the public’s response to the program. People were asked, “Do you think teens should practice sexual abstinence?”

Valentine’s Day, February 14th, gives us another opportunity to express the very heart of ministry. When Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was he replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind . . . and you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39). When we consider Christ’s love for the church, God’s Word gives us this illustration of love. “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Marriage is to be an illustration of God’s love.

Families and marriages are in terrible turmoil. Is there hope for the institution of marriage? Yes, for the One who instituted marriage in the beginning not only gives hope, but also gives us the greatest marriage manual in the world – the Bible. Your marriage can make it. This article is for those who want their marriage to work and succeed. It is not for those who are unwilling to work at it or those who are unwilling to change and grow.

You can have a solid rock marriage. All marriages face various storms in life. Jesus told the parable of a wise man and a foolish man who both built a house. The storm came to both, but the man who built on the rock withstood the assault – so can you. (See Matthew 7:24.)

“There goes poor Roy,” Aunt Gertie clucked as she craned her neck to look out the beauty parlor window where she sat for her weekly hair beautification.

Poor Roy rode down the street on his creaky bicycle loaded down with bulging gunnysacks. The oversized metal basket attached to the front handlebars overflowed with a menagerie of treasures collected along his route. Poor Roy, as he was called by some of the locals, could be described as one of the town characters that most towns have. He was somewhat eccentric or “odd turned” as my mother refers to such people. Some made fun of Roy’s severe stutter, which became worse when he became angry with his tormentors.

My little granddaughter pulled me by the hand. “Pooh”, she said as we sat on the floor to watch her favorite video. As an adult “Winnie the Pooh” seems rather slow moving and laid back. Preschoolers seem to love the gentle bear. My grandson’s favorite character is Tigger. Perhaps he identifies with the high energy, rambunctious escapades of Tigger.

A banner that I saw waving from the porch of a home seems to sum up the appeal of Winnie the Pooh. The banner displaying the pictures of Winnie and Tigger read: “Welcome friends”. Preschoolers and children seem to make and value friends easier than teens and adults. Winnie the Pooh seems to model acceptance and the value of friendship.

“Her children arise up, and call her blessed, her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Proverbs 31:28). Many mothers live with a sense of guilt and frustration in measuring up to the standards of a good mother. One mother confided in me, “When will my family understand that I am not super-mom? Mothers are people too.”

How does the Bible describe the mother that pleases God? She possesses a sense of spiritual values: faith, courage, prayer, wisdom, joy, trustworthiness, dedication, kindness, and reverence. (Read Exodus 2:2; I Samuel 1:12; Proverbs 31; Psalms 113:9.)

Having a farm background, I know how important it is to mend fences. It is sometimes a tedious and tiring job, but to neglect it can result in tragedy and loss. When we lived in South Dakota, a rancher friend had several sheep. When a sheep would find a hole in the fence and go through it, the whole flock would usually follow. Occasionally one would get stuck and die struggling to get out. It is imperative to be ever vigilant in mending fences.

Multitudes of marriages and human relationships have been damaged and destroyed because of the neglect of mending fences. We must constantly work at mending relationship fences in marriage, family, church, and the work place. Let us consider seven steps to healing of marriage and human relationships.

If the devil can derail or damage our marriage, he has put a damper on our ministry. Your marriage is your ministry! On Labor Day we celebrate the blessings and the necessity of work. I realize that a good marriage must be constantly worked at, tended to, and nurtured. It must be a ministry priority.

The great comedian and American icon Bob Hope lived to be over 100 years old. No doubt he took his own medicine – “A merry heart doeth good like medicine” (Proverbs 17:22). The amazing thing to many people was that he was married to his wife Dolores for over 69 years.

The headlines on the front page of the Centralia Sentinel shocked me and made me sick in the pit of my stomach. “Divorce Rate In Marion County Is Exceeding High, Says Judge.” It quoted circuit court Judge Sauer, who issued a release of the number of divorces in Marion County that showed an 83% divorce rate. The national rate is appalling enough at 50%. The article also touched on some possible contributing factors.

Families and marriages are in terrible turmoil. Is there hope for the institution of marriage? Yes, for the One who instituted marriage in the beginning not only gives hope, but also gives us the greatest marriage manual in the world – the Bible. Your marriage can make it. This article is for those who want their marriage to work and succeed. It is not for those who are unwilling to work at it or those who are unwilling to change and grow.

I could feel and see the tension on the faces of many of the men in our prison Bible study. I had told them that Jesus taught us to relate to God in prayer as our Heavenly Father. (Matthew 6:9) I knew what they were thinking. For many of these men the image of “father” had a negative connotation. Today in America many children have a father who is abusive, distant, or absent. It is heart breaking to know that many children do not know the love and positive influence of a father.

Has your heart been pierced by cupids arrow? You’ve vowed to “love and to cherish until death do us part”, but now you find your love diminishing? Many work to woo and win their love but then leave their marriage to chance. Whatever we don’t work at or pray about in our life, we leave up to chance. That’s not good enough when it comes to marriage. The problem with chance in a marriage is chances are there will be some difficulties. Chances are there will be disagreements, misunderstandings, and hurts. That’s because we are all human. If we leave the outcome of marriage to chance, chances are it will fail.

It’s been said that blood is thicker than water. It’s natural and normal for families to stick together and care for one another. Even though there may be disagreements, imperfections, and family issues that all families contend with, there is an inherent quality that says, “Blood is thicker than water.” Jesus stated that, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste and any city or house divided against itself shall not stand” (Matthew 12:25 NASB). Strong, loving families living in peace and unity are vital for the health and happiness of society and the individual. The Psalmist declared “God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psalm 68:9).

I didn’t receive a lot of spankings as a child. But I believe I remember every one I got from my dad. One particular one is very vivid in my memory. I enjoyed throwing a baseball, bouncing it off the front porch steps, and catching it. My dad told me not to do it. Why not? What would it hurt? Besides how would I ever break into the major leagues if I didn’t practice?

Shortly after my dad’s warning, I was once again bouncing the ball off the front steps. The ball took a wicked hop and went crashing through the bedroom window where my dad just happened to be resting.

Larry King was recently interviewed on “The Today Show” concerning his recently published book Remember Me When I’m Gone. The world famous radio and television personality asked the talented, the beautiful, the wise, and the rich a question all of us have pondered to some degree, “How would you like to be remembered after you die?”

The contributions range from one-liners by Yogi Berra – “It’s over.”; Kato Kaelin – “I guess my 15 minutes are up!”; Jack Lemmon- “In.”; Calvin Klein – “By eternity.”; Gene Shalit – “I won’t be back after this message.”;

I had forgotten the thrill of catching a fish. My grandson reminded me of the thrill as he reeled in his first catch, with assistance from his dad. I recalled my youth when I went fishing with my dad, brothers, grandmother, or anyone else that would go with me. But for some reason, in middle age, I had forgotten how to fish. I had forgotten how to have fun and just relax.

It seems many kids grow up today without trying their hand at fishing. Many stay indoors playing video and computer games. There’s nothing like getting outdoors and away from it all for awhile.

The future looked dim for Alvin and Calvin Harrison. After being evicted from their home, the twins found themselves homeless. For a while, they lived in their mother’s old mustang. They quickly learned how to survive. After experiencing the loneliness of foster care, they finally were able to go live with their grandmother. Perhaps that’s where they first discovered their athletic talent and developed the discipline and determination to go for the gold. In the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Alvin persevered to win the silver in the men’s 400-meter.

Then there was the unbelievable and flashy Michael Johnson, with his golden running shoes, who became the first man ever to win the 400-meter in consecutive Olympics. He has won four Olympic and nine world championship gold medals.

Have you ever wondered where you fit in society? Where you fit in amongst your peers? Perhaps you have felt like a round peg being forced into a square hole. Culture tends to categorize individuals into homogenized groups. Do you identify with any of the following groups?

GAMERS: I recently read a news article concerning a popular young person who described himself as a “gamer”. I’m not quite sure, but possibly a gamer is someone who is an avid video game player.

A sage once said that those who have two or three good friends are fortunate. He or she who has one true, close friend is fortunate indeed.

Since moving into a new neighborhood a little over a year ago, we have only seen our neighbor lady a couple of times. An upward mobile executive, she leaves her home before sun-up for her commute to work and returns home late in the evening. My wife happened to meet her at a neighbor’s moving sale one Saturday. Our neighbor sadly remarked that even though she had a good job and had lived in the neighborhood for about 10 years, she had no friends. That sentiment is a commentary on life in our society today.