May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. (Psalm 19:14) OK, advanced warning. Overthinking is likely. I got back to my trailer last night after an evacuation “vacation” to my house up north. It wasn’t really a vacation. I had no water, no plumbing, and no gas – but I had electricity and got water from my neighbor’s house. I made due. I coped very well. If I’d stayed at the trailer, I would have had no water and no electric for at least a good chunk of the time. I’m not complaining. I’m setting up and recording for posterity, so to speak. I’m back, and God has blessed me with remarkably little damage. I’ve seen places with metal awnings torn off. I’ve seen where the water reached at its high mark. Work is already underway to recover. First, the people who faced Helene and Milton need prayers, not just now, but for months to come. Some lost everything. Some lost only what was important. Some may not realiz
I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. (Philemon 1:4-6) Have you ever partnered with or mentored (or been mentored by) someone? Undoubtedly, if you’ve had a job, been a child or had a child, you have. If you’re truly a Christian, God and your pastor (at least) are your mentors. Even if you read and apply something you’ve learned from a “self-help” book, you have a mentor. Sometimes, we are offended by the idea of mentoring because it involves submission and suggests that the mentor is somehow superior to us in essence rather than just in experience. The flesh truly is foolish in this way, throwing the baby out with the bathwater. When we raise our children, teach our students, train our wor