“I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 NLT Christmas brings hope for the hopeless. How are you this year? What have your struggles been about? God rescues the lost. Do you feel aligned with God’s purpose for your life? We can find hope again at Christmas. Christmas fills those who trust God with even more hope. Even when our life in the world doesn’t turn out as we hoped it would, we are never left hopeless. Jesus birth in Bethlehe ..read more

It was 22 degrees this morning as I headed to the Journey office. It seems odd to be talking about ice cream on such a frigid morning. However the love of ice cream some people enjoy crosses all barriers it would seem. How about you? Are you a Baskin Robbins fan? If so, what is your favorite flavor? I did a little Google research and found, “Brother-in-laws, Burton Baskin and Irvine Robbins from Glendale, Ca., 1945 founded the worlds largest ice cream company. What was once a selection of 31 flavors - Baskin Robbins ’31’ stands for a different ice cream flavor for each day of the month - has ..read more

“I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this; I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 NLT I recently rented a car for a trip and discovered it pulled violently to the right when accelerating. It was a nearly brand new car with only a couple thousand miles. However, every time I would accelerate on the interstate the rental car lunged momenta ..read more

We are all just people. The Bible is full of real examples of stubborn people, unwilling to change. When and how did you first arrive at the conclusion Jesus’ Church was a place for you? I know many who grew up with wonderful childhood experiences worshipping God with their family in the local church. Other people (like myself) delayed coming to understand God was for everybody until young adult life. However we arrived at the front door of any local church gathering, my guess, it was a bit of a  “learning curve” discovering HOW to follow God. At first glance, to me, it appeare ..read more

We all can describe what is not working in our wold today. This week I am in Dallas for a wedding I am officiating. My time spent in the car rental line was almost longer than the time it took me to fly here. That isn’t working for those people traveling long distances, on tight schedules. I met a mom and dad from Vermont with two small boys waiting for an SUV. They had traveled long distance since before dawn and were now hungry, tired, and done with it all. What might anyone do to make things better? I tried to smile as I waited, sharing some positive and supportive words for the weary fami ..read more

Champions in sporting events are often crowned after a grueling series of games and matches. Every sport is different but eventually two of the better teams play for all the glory. In some instances better talent wins the day; not always. Execution of the teams game plan can be also play a major factor in which team becomes victorious. I am a sports fan of most sporting events. In almost every instance watching various contests in sports the biggest factor often is momentum. Which team is able to gain momentum first, then keep momentum at critical moments. A sudden momentum swing may determin ..read more

“10 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. 11 So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.” Ephesians 6:10-11 MESSAGE Paraphrase Just a couple days ago a friend was describing how their morning had gone. Unfortunately, there had been various setbacks all morning. My friend began to tell me about their experiences. He said, “it felt like bug bites all over. I kept swatting them away. Finally, in Jesus Name, I was able to calm d ..read more

What sort of dreams and ambitions help you get out of bed each day? Have you considered going back to school? If you’re ready to take College classes and become a College graduate some day, first, you have to enroll and buy the books. Are you thinking it is time to get healthy and lose a little weight before winter? If so, you better start a routine of exercise and diet now; long before winter arrives. Just saying. Harder to roll out of bed for exercise on those cold winter days. People are just people. It is to be expected like clock work, colder weather changes, often slow us down. Like a c ..read more

I will be out of town and out of state for a wedding in a few weeks. I need a hotel for 3 nights. It is an area I have stayed often. I want to return to a hotel which I can count on. You really can tell the difference in customer service at a quality hotel with a terrific breakfast, clean room, plenty of towels, and helpful person at the check-in. People have a story to tell; everyone does. Not all are good; some have challenges and difficult circumstances. Whatever kind of story, we hope to end the day with peace and comfort. Small things like finding a warm and friendly hotel overnight beco ..read more

Who hasn’t become frustrated with a slow internet connection? You may be one of those people who can remember the only available email was AOL. And the only internet connection was a dial-up phone service. The loud, annoying buzzing sound of a phone line making our connection is still audible in my head. With time, technology has exponentially improved the speed and consistency of our Internet connections. Cable connections, fiber optic, and high speed satellite options now are the norm for browsing the information highway. As Internet connectivity has drastically improved, real person, real ..read more