That pesky sword! Every time I turn around it is swinging out and hitting something while strapped to my waist! And have you ever tried to get into or out of a car with a sword harnessed to you? You have to be extra careful to not go too fast walking around corners lest it swings out and catches something! I think I do pretty well with the rest of the outfit. After all you need something to hold up your pants so why not a belt of truth? Wearing a breastplate is a bit unusual for this time period […]

Why do we celebrate the birth of Jesus on December 25th? Is it because we have always done it that way? Why is there a Santa Claus if we are celebrating Jesus’ birth? Why have a Christmas tree? And what’s with the sleigh and reindeer? Do you ever wonder about those things? Is the whole thing a celebration of pagan rituals captured by commercial interests in the last couple of centuries to generate revenue for greedy retailers? Sometimes I wonder about that one. The truth is that we do not know the exact date of Jesus’ birth. Before you accuse […]

A relevant topic warrants repeating, so this month we are revisiting a topic from some years ago. Most mornings in the growing season you will find me outside shortly after dawn watering my garden veggies and flowers, then sitting on the back patio to read a daily Bible reading and to “contemplate life.” For several days this past season, the question “Who am I, Lord?” was persistently on my mind. I have learned that when thoughts are persistent I should pay attention. It could be something I need to address in my own relationship with the Lord or with Carolyn. […]

                   In Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV), Jesus says, “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What a promise! Think about that for a moment. That invitation and promise is made specifically for you. “Come to me,” Jesus says. He didn’t say to go to your family, or friends, or […]

Below is a message we are using with permission from Jimmy Evans at MarriageToday. The message can be applied to many situations CKs find in their lives today. Pray and ask Jesus if this relates to your life. “Karen and I have wonderful parents and in-laws, but let’s face it: No parent is perfect. The imperfect parenting individuals experience while growing up leads to baggage that can harm our marriages. “The two most prominent types of baggage are iniquities and inner vows. “Iniquities. Exodus 34:7 tells of how God inflicts “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to […]

Have you ever had an event or series of events that were so frustrating that you wanted to pull your hair out by the roots? Of course you have. At the end when the circumstance was resolved have you seen the hand of God in the process or result? As I write this our annual CKI Families Are Forever conference has just been completed and the time seemed to fly by with all the activities of planning, coordinating and executing the conference. Because we usually print a lot of materials to prepare for the conference we needed to have the […]

Prayers get answered. Don’t let anyone or anything make you think otherwise. Never ever doubt that your prayers are being heard and that our God is working for those who love Him. I have prayed for general changes in my marriage but the specific prayers are the ones I have found are the ones God answered. I have prayed for God to work in me. Those prayers started in November of 2010 right after my wife and I separated. I knew “we” had problems, issues, etc., but I also found that I alone could not change the problems “we” had […]

I have once again been reading in Jeremiah and remembered that I had written on the topics of God knowing us before we are born and having definite plans for us. I remain in awe of the prophets of old that were called of God to bring His messages to the kings and peoples of Old Testament times. So today I am “recycling” an older article with additional comments. Jeremiah was one of those who were called by God. Jeremiah felt inadequate for the job. He was too young and he knew nothing about public speaking or how to approach […]

As I was reviewing some old material I came across the following article written a few years ago. Some of you may remember it. I confess I wrote it in a light-hearted and joking manner – but as I reflected on it I realized that the “issues” outlined in the development of a “Stander’s App” are with us today as much as when the article first appeared. I hope reading or re-reading it brings you both a smile and some thoughtful introspection. Soon to be available for your iPhone or Android device – The Stander’s App!!! Why not? It seems […]

Recently I have been writing on topics such as perseverance, opposition and vigilance. My thoughts this time have turned to endurance. According to one dictionary the definition of endurance is “the fact or power of enduring an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way.” As I read that I was reminded of my days of U S Marine Corps boot camp and the physical and mental endurance it took to survive a few weeks of that program. The Merriam Webster dictionary definition of endurance is “the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; especially: the ability to sustain a […]