Been A While…

Hey everyone…
It’s been awhile since I’ve had time to blog.  Things have been really busy here since the fall.  The holidays were great.  We were able to spend a lot of time with family!  Following are some new pictures.  The first is the girls opening their first Christmas present on Christmas Eve.  Dad and I [...]

What Christians Want Out Of Life

A new study released this week by The Barna Group reveals that different types of Christians want different things out of life. The survey, which was based on a random sample of 1,003 adults in May of this year, asked the participants to rate 19 possible outcomes in life in terms of personal desirability. The [...]

A Day With Smarls

I must confess…
I have been quite short-tempered recently. While in reality there is no excuse, perhaps mental and physical exhaustion coupled with a couple minor ailments (really just annoyances) have contributed to my recent explosiveness. For whatever reason, it doesn’t take much to set me off.
Today rudeness reared its ugly head yet again. [...]

Thoughts About Death By Tony Snow

Note From The Preacherman:  Tony Snow served as White House Press Secretary for President Bush from 2006 – 2007.  When he discovered his cancer returned, he stepped down from his position for “financial” reasons.  He also served the first President Bush as a speech writer.  Tony died last Saturday and his funeral was today.  Some [...]

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name
Blessed be your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name
Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the [...]

A Moving Adventure!

I always liked a good, depressing rock ballad.  Where are the groups like GnR today? 
 
My mind wanders… to the point at hand.
 
It’s been a long trip.  We are here, mostly unpacked, and trying to settle into new routines.  The house doesn’t seem as strange any more…. it’s starting to feel like home.  The girls like [...]

Telling Jesus

     John the Baptist met a terrible and tragic end when Herod served up John’s head on a platter to Herodias, Herod’s sister-in-law.  We might imagine the grief experienced by those who loved John.  The Bible records in Matthew 14:12 that “his disciples came, removed the corpse, buried it, and went and told Jesus.”  What [...]

Rollercoaster Thoughts

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy [...]

I’m An Uncle, Again!

Jennifer Luffman, my sister, gave birth on Wednesday to Caleb Andrew Luffman.  He weighed 8 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.  Say a prayer that the world will hold great things for the new arrival.

New Look…

It’s been awhile since I visited my little corner of cyberspace.  In honor of the occasion, I decided a new look was in order.
There’s news to report.
I’m very proud of my oldest daughter.  She received an invitation from the Congressional Youth Leadership Council to attend the Presidential Inauguration in January, 2009.  In addition, she will [...]

The Value of Experience

      A reporter for the Associated Press once interviewed the chairman of a large New York City bank. The banker was widely acclaimed for his financial prowess and had amassed a personal fortune of many millions of dollars. In addition, at the time, his bank was one of the most powerful in the nation. “Sir,” [...]

Global Warming? Global Cooling? Or Global Flip-Flopping?

Thursday, March 6, 2008:
High:  70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Friday, March 7, 2008:
Predicted High:  35 degrees Fahrenheit with 1 to 4 inches of snow between midnight and noon.
Saturday Morning, March 8, 2008:
Predicted Low:  27 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sunday, March 9, 2008:
Predicted High:  70 degrees Fahrenheit with Sunshine.
If you don’t like the weather around here, just stick around.  It will change [...]

An Unspeakable Tragedy

 
Last weekend, we took a rare weekend trip back east.  We were in the car most of the weekend; however, we did get to visit with family and friends.  I also spoke at a congregation that sits near the Kentucky / Tennessee state line.  It was a good experience for us and we enjoyed meeting [...]

Thoughts from the Road

We are travelling this weekend.  We enjoyed seeing my family.  Things were well at home.  The kids were excited to wake up and see snow falling this morning.  It didn’t stick, but it didn’t matter.  It is a rare treat for us to see any of the white stuff.
The tornadoes that tore up the Southeast [...]

Pagan Christianity

Friends,
I have long contended that those of us who profess to be “first-century Christians” would be very surprised if we were somehow transported back in time and sat in on a “worship service” of the earliest Christians.  We would likely find ourselves in a living room, a cave, under a tree, or even in the [...]

Loves Me Like Barack!

Who Will Protect The Children?

The following article was written by Sarah Hudson Pierce.  She is a friend of mine and a sister in Christ.  This appeared in Thursday’s edition of The Shreveport Times.  I am using it here with Sarah’s permission.  Visit her website at http://www.sarahhudsonpierce.net .
*** 
Having spent my teenage years in an orphanage near Tulsa, Okla., in the ’60s, I [...]

Quail Springs Church and Instrumental Music

The Quail Springs church in Oklahoma City added instrumental music to their worship services.  You can hear audio from their preacher and elders explaining their reasoning at the following link: 
http://www.quailchurch.com/cgi-bin/ResourceList.cgi?section=&cat=January%2028%2C%202007%20Statements 

A full page ad was put in the Oklahoma City newspaper after the Quail Springs congregation added instrumental music.  You can view it at the following [...]

Barack & The Long Highway to Nothingness

The talking heads say that this year’s presidential race is unprecedented in American history.  Neither party has had a consistent front-runner until this week when the Republicans seem to have settled for Senator John McCain.  If Senator McCain holds on to receive the Republican nomination for President, he will face an uphill battle from either [...]

Tragedy in the South

Take a look at the area of North Alabama where I grew up and where Mom and Dad still live.  The tornadoes seemed to come to an end on Mom and Dad’s property.  They tore down fencing and spread debris all over the place, but spared family and houses.  But just a few miles to [...]