#attitudes

What the New Testament Teaches About Following Jesus Obedience is not a popular word today. Our culture celebrates independence, self-expression, and doing whatever feels right. Many people assume that Christianity is simply about believing certain truths or attending church occasionally. But when we open the New Testament, we discover something far more challenging—and far more…

“Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”Proverbs 17:3 (NLT) Nobody enjoys being tested. We would all prefer smooth roads, easy victories, and comfortable circumstances. Yet throughout Scripture, we discover that God often uses tests, trials, and challenges to reveal what is truly inside us. The writer of Proverbs gives us a powerful picture: “Fire tests the…

Hello from the outside table at the local Starbucks, It’s a great morning, starting out cool and pleasant, though now the humidity and heat are both on the rise, and it’s a typical June, nearly summer, day in Pennsylvania (btw, do you know that this is the only state where both the abbreviation of PA as well as the entire state is understood and acceptable?). It will probably blow up into a bit…

Hello from the diner, When I come to the diner today, I remember how this family establishment has become part of the collective memory of my time in Bloomsburg. There was a period where I was here most every morning and names like Dave, Doug, or Father Fennessy, seated at the left counter as you walked into the corner restaurant, were as constant as the days of the week. There were our own…

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;test me and know my anxious thoughts.Point out anything in me that offends You,and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT) These may be some of the most courageous words ever spoken in prayer. Most of us are comfortable asking God to bless us, protect us, provide for us, and help us. But David prayed something deeper. He invited God…

Hello on the first of June,As noted by my father regularly, time will begin to seemingly pass by more rapidly. Of the many wise things, truthful things he said, this one might be the more accurate. At least, that seems to be the case as I consider how we got to the first of June, and it seems like only a few weeks ago it was mid-March, and I was watching the tournaments. In barely three weeks, we…