A glance at global headlines from the past several weeks makes one thing clear: The world is starving for peace. Apparently, this is true even on the baseball field, where Guardians third baseman José Ramírez and White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson threw off their gloves, Aug. 5, for a game-stopping, bare-fisted fight at second base. But global turbulence and brokenness has spread far beyond the ballfield, as made evident by a few recent reports from WORLD News Group: • In a South Korean … [Read more...]
What do you know about MBCH?
When you hear the name “Missouri Baptist Children’s Home,” what images come to your mind? Do you see campuses full of young children waiting for a forever home? Do you see an orphanage? Does residential care only come to your mind? Well, hopefully, after you read this article, you will have learned more about what the Agency is and who it serves. First of all, instead of calling it “Missouri Baptist Children’s Home”, we are now referring to the parent corporation as MBCH. The … [Read more...]
Salvation through a sign
People often quip about wanting a “sign from God” before they will change. Recently, a vendor at the Ozark campus came to faith in Christ after viewing a Bible verse scrolling on a video kiosk at the campus. This gentleman, like so many who visit our Baptist Homes campuses, immediately experienced an environment that was different from other senior communities. At Baptist Homes, one does not need to go far to see that our commitment to being a distinctly Christian ministry goes beyond … [Read more...]
Uncontainable joy
Food storage containers are handy beasts. That’s why most of us have that one cabinet full of them. Open the cabinet door, release the little brutes, they tumble out in a beast party of happy-clattery plastic. They’re the best. But also sometimes they’re the worst. Because: nine containers. Fifty-two lids. And none of those lids fit any of the nine containers. You can try to force a near-fit if you want. But it’s a Cinderella shoe on a mean stepsister. Making do with a lid that’s too … [Read more...]
Welcome Him into the house
The beginning of Mark 2 is one of the greatest events in Scripture. The people involved are the Lord Jesus, the disciples, the crowd inside a house, the religious leaders attempting to shelter the people from this rabbi from Nazareth, a paralytic, and four men. Each has a vital role to play, but this short column does not lend itself to exploration of each life. Let’s stick to the paralytic and the four: He sat by the city gate for years. Every morning, his father, a brother, a cousin, … [Read more...]
Family vacation teaches a lesson in contentment
My wife, children and I traversed five states on a grand adventure earlier this month – thanks to a gift from some family members. Contentedly, we meandered through Grand Teton National Park and then through Yellowstone National Park, keeping our eyes peeled for bears, moose, foxes, coyotes, bald eagles, bison and antelope. We loved seeing such beautiful wildlife against the backdrop of mountains, streams and waterfalls. Eager to suck the marrow out of life, my son even delighted in every … [Read more...]
Who’s the boss?
“For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man.” – I Corinthians 11:8-9 (ESV) Many times when I have done book signings, a dad will pick up a book, look at it and put it down. When I mention that the books are helpful for family devotions, most often I have gotten the response, “My wife usually makes those kind of decisions”. The Scripture cited above makes it clear that God intended for the dad to be the head of the home and … [Read more...]
Abused find safety, healing through MBCH
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise. – Jeremiah 17:14 Thirteen-year-old Abby* had big dreams. Maybe they seemed out of reach for now: money was tight, and she lived in a small Missouri town with her single mom. But Abby earned good grades and had several close friends; she had decided she was going somewhere. Fast forward to freshman year of high school. Everything was down: Abby’s school attendance, her grades, her friendships, and … [Read more...]
Seasons change: Embrace it!
I find immense joy in witnessing the transitions that occur throughout the year! They serve as a profound reminder of God’s boundless creativity and diversity. Not only do the seasons undergo transformations, but the seasons of our lives do as well. While some of these changes can be welcoming, like getting your dream job, getting married, and completing a home remodel. Others can be discouraging, like losing your dream job, never-ending home remodel, or a spouse passing away. How we … [Read more...]
The great guinea fowl massacre
The other morning, as the sun broke the horizon, Sharon came upstairs with tears in her eyes. One of our seven caged guinea fowl lay dead in its cage. By the way, the proper term for young guinea fowl is “keets.” I went out to check. Not one, but three were dead. I will spare you the forensic details of what happened to the guineas, but let me just say a racoon family is resting fat and happy. To spare the lives of the surviving members of the guinea tribe, we made some significant … [Read more...]
Amid crisis and conflict, Christ remains Lord of all
My 10-year-old son informed me last week that some nameless, Italian dental genius invented false teeth in 701 B.C., soon after the far away kingdom of Israel was crushed by Assyrian armies and just as those same armies besieged the kingdom of Judah’s capital city of Jerusalem. That’s the sort of fun fact you might expect to hear from a kid raised by two history nerds – that is, by me and my wife. It won’t surprise you, then, that my wife and I took the opportunity to indulge our nerdiness … [Read more...]
Refuge for the unborn
The Lord instructed Israel to set aside “cities of refuge” (Numbers 35 and elsewhere) for the protection and preservation of life for those who were guilty of manslaughter. A person could flee to these cities and be protected from the avenger of blood. In 19th century America, there was a network of “stations” in an intangible “underground railroad” that provided protection and safe passage for slaves seeking freedom. In recent years some cities have declared themselves sanctuaries for … [Read more...]
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