LAZZIE CAT Our family was once the recipient of a rescued cat. Her startle reflex validated the report that she had been abused, but most of the time she just slept. She was a beautiful Calico—white with large areas of black interspersed with orange all over her body. As pretty as she was, [...]
I once asked the Lord about His army. He answered me on a sunny day in October, 1997 in Washington, DC. When He spoke, I was standing by the Washington Monument looking back toward the Lincoln Memorial. The National Mall was filled to overflowing with more than a million men, both young and old. None [...]
Set in the 1950’s with capable acting, The Gathering is a nostalgic, heart-warming Christmas movie. Unexpectedly, the opening scene introduces DEATH as a life-changing force in the form of a terminal diagnosis. The recipient, Adam Thornton (Ed Asner), is a powerful, proud businessman with a strong personality and a back trail of broken relationships. His [...]
If Life is a COUNTDOWN, then DEATH must be an expiration date. The clock is ticking. To folks who think this way, getting old is not a blessing but a fearful thing as it means they are "over the hill" and on their way out. Even Paul admits the bucket-list mentality makes some sense if you [...]
For those of us who follow Jesus, however, thanksgiving is much more than a holiday. . . thanksgiving is a way of life, even our lifeline. Giving thanks is our pass into the presence of God (Psalm 95:2). Giving thanks to God is also the means of proclaiming His great deeds (Psalm 105:1, 107:22) and [...]
Have you considered what essential message you would like to leave with your dear ones? Unlike Jesus, few of us know the time and place of our departure. It seems wise to prepare our last words, our essential message, the equivalent to Jesus' upper room discourse, now. In Jerusalem, our Lord purposely gathered his disciples [...]
In 1946, twenty Japanese soldiers were living on the island of Corregidor near Manila Bay in an underground tunnel. Cut off from all communications, they focused on survival. One snuck out for water and happened upon a newspaper. He learned Japan had surrendered September 2, 1945. WWII was over! Such knowledge changed everything. He and his buddies [...]
By Ginny Rodriguez As many do, my husband Larry returned from a mission trip to El Salvador with stomach aches. How surprised we were to learn his ailment was not Montezuma’s revenge, but stage 4 colon cancer. My 70-year-old husband took the news with courage and made difficult decisions. LARRY'S 1ST DIFFICULT DECISION He asked [...]
A day without death was the wish of Clavius Aquila Valerius Niger, the fictitious Tribune whose encounters with Jesus of Nazareth are chronicled in the movie, Risen. Although he wielded much authority, Clavius’ job was basically that of an executioner. He oversaw the crucifixions in Jerusalem and quelled uprisings with the superior force of the [...]
GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE 2019 JESUS KNEW he was going to die as revealed by Luke 9:51-53. When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations [...]
