Truth Inspires

The image above reminds me of my childhood Kansas. Every winter my brothers and I would go down to a wooded patch behind our home where a low-lying seep would freeze over in winter to make our very own skating rink. We were not wealthy enough to have ice skates, and it didn't matter, our boots sufficed just fine. For hours on end we would skate or play stick hockey, all the time being so thankful that winter had come. For us winter was special. It allowed a closer time to bond together as siblings and to appreciate things such as a home and heat to warm it, hot soup, and of course snow...and in Kansas we got plenty!  Those days are gone just like the year that has just passed. I no longer live in Kansas, but Illinois. Nevertheless, the childhood memories will linger and I do hope that all of us can find something to be thankful for in our past. Here in Illinois, Christmas passed us as fast as it arrived and the New Year has now come. We are all anticipating how t...

It has long been known that history repeats itself. The oft quoted quip of Santayana has been stated in many ways since, but it still stands that "Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." The things of the past are our tutors. We lean and trust on those with silver crowns because it's by their wisdom and experience that we learn the lessons of life and good decision making. We also learn from histories how nations have stood and how nations have fallen by searching out their strengths and weaknesses—what their leaders stood for and what they stood against. Those who fail to do so throw caution to the wind and their leadership is marked out by the fickleness of emotionalism, narcissism, the lusts of the flesh, and a thirst for success and power rather than the discipline of the soul; moreover, whether in their day or in the days that follow, a lack of Godly leadership that models solid ethics and morality only brings despair and des...

I know the title sounds a little inauspicious for how can we, sinners that we are, possibly entertain the Lord of Lords and King of Kings? But that is just the question that seems to be relevant when we consider Abrahams encounter with the Lord in the field of Machpelah near a certain grove of terebinth trees at Mamre. The Scripture states: Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees of Mamre, as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him; and when he saw  them,  he ran from the tent door to meet them, and bowed himself to the ground, and said, My Lord, if I have now found favor in Your sight, do not pass on by Your servant. Please let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. And I will bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh your hearts. After that you may pass by, inasmuch as you have come to your servant. They said, Do as ...