Dear Faith Family, I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber, (Psalm 121:1-3). Directly in front of me as my fingers type structure to my thoughts is a live feed from Decorah, Iowa. The cameras are focused on an eagle's nest hi...

Dear Faith Family, For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things, (Romans 1:21-23). "Get the boat...

Dear Faith Family, Choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin, (Hebrews 11:25). "A tickling in the nose, frequent sneezing, chills, and a runny nose, followed by a scratchy throat, fatigue, a light headache and lots of thick mucus," (Isabel Atzl  Roland Helms in their book A Short History of the Common Cold)....

Dear Faith Family, May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope, (Romans 15:13). The Passion Week of Jesus awakens a new level of sobriety. Have you traveled the road through Jerusalem? From The Triumphal Entry to Golgotha? Have you stopped at each overlook? Can you hear Him? Do you see H...

Dear Faith Family, The joy of the Lord is your strength, (Nehemiah 8:10). In three days, a bunch (academic word meaning many) of people will gather to celebrate the life of a dear friend of more than twenty years. The last two years of her life were marred with the effects of a dastardly disease. Although the physical decline was difficult to watch, the joy that surround...

Dear Faith Family, The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. "The Lord is my portion", says my soul, "therefore I will hope in Him," (Lamentations 3:22-24). I'm standing in an auditorium full of pastors and wives at The Cove in Ashville, NC. A strange lump has found its way into ...

Dear Faith Family, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting. The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). Many moons ago in a land far, far away (Ok. It was Blythewood). We were the underdogs. It was ...

Dear Faith Family, Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord, (Deuteronomy 8:3). Words mean things. Right? Our contemporary culture seems less likely to believe that statement and maybe less likely to care whether it is true or not. I'm not even sure that we have the capacity to understand the ramifications of no ...

Dear Faith Family, I will never leave you nor forsake you, (Hebrews 13:5). As the sun began to tuck itself into the mountain before us, its light increasingly dissipated from the mountains behind. At 5826 feet above sea level, Round Bald (Roan Mountain, TN.) accommodated our bleachers' seats. Looking back toward Sugar Mountain, the shadows had already begun to envelope i...

Dear Faith Family, We love because He first loved us, (1 John 4:19). Love is a reaction. There, I said it. But I do not think that means what you think it means! Let me explain. We are often reactionary people, right? The alarm clock (or phone) goes off and we react. You know with, "Wow, it's another great day to be alive!" or with, "Where am I?" or maybe our hand reacts...