Feb 26 2010
Steadfastly Flourishing
I am sure we all have family members who simply will not listen and it seems impossible to keep them in line. This applies to my family as well and his name is Dad!
Archive for the 'Family' Category
Jan 06 2010
Knit Together
My newest friend, Thomas Price Fogarty, is going to have an amazing life! Thomas Price was just born and what a wonderful way to begin the new year! I just did something that I love doing and I hope you will take this idea and use it yourself. Whenever a baby is born into your family, take the time to write that baby his or her first letter.
Dec 26 2009
Higher Calling
Family and friends are scattered all over the world this time of the year and we really long for them to be home with us. During the Christmas season we are bombarded with all those television commercials showing Joey who has just arrived back from the front lines, he walks up the steps, knocks on the door and surprises Mom and the rest of the family. It is tempting to be a bit upset because we want our loved ones home too.
Dec 24 2009
Nearness of God
There is a very special group of people that I want to talk to today. Your children may be grown and gone and because you live miles apart you are unable to get together for Christmas. Perhaps you have lost a spouse for one reason or another, or you just don’t have a spouse. You may even be at a place in your life where your pets are no longer around. It is the Christmas season and it may be a bit difficult for you.
Sep 30 2009
Partnering in Prayer
You know, it seems to me that supporters of Rivers of the World (ROW) have been praying for my family for years. I want all of you to know that I am so grateful for your faithful prayers, especially for my youngest son, Adam, who served three tours in Iraq in the Marine Corps.
Sep 18 2009
Obedient Servant
Did I tell you that one of my sons got married recently? It was quite a remarkable sight. Nine Marine captains and one Marine major, all in their dress blue uniforms adorned with all their medals, came marching into the church. After escorting the ladies to their seats, the Marines continued to march right down the center aisle.
Sep 06 2009
Lasting Nourishment
Anyone who knows me at all knows that I just love my country and I love celebrating holidays here in America, including celebrating Labor Day. I was recently in another state where all the folks at the party gathered around a grill. We enjoyed a barbecue pig pickin’. I am convinced that in the South pig pickin’s are the way that God brings people together around food.
This Labor Day weekend as you gather with family and friends, what do ya’ll normally eat? I know some folks who traditionally eat bratwurst and sauerkraut to celebrate Labor Day. Some folks may fry up some chicken, some may fire up the grill and barbecue brisket and some may even eat a variety of seafood to enjoy the Labor Day weekend. I am getting hungry just thinking about all this food!
What food do you use to celebrate the love of God in Christ that brings everybody together in the kitchen or around the grill this time of year? I’d love to hear about it!
Regardless of what food you cook this holiday weekend, don’t forget Jesus’ stern warning found in John 6:27:
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”
Many of us have a tendency to focus all our time and energy working for a living in order to place food on the table and pay our bills. If we have any time leftover in a day, we may take a few minutes and read God’s word and pray. What benefit is it to us to fill our stomachs daily with food yet neglect our spiritual bodies of nourishment?
Gather this Labor Day weekend with family and enjoy all the delicious food but spend time too focusing upon the One who provided the food, family and all the many blessings we enjoy.
Aug 31 2009
Restore With Love
I am sure many of you can relate to loving somebody so much that you have placed them high upon a pedestal. However, what do you do when that person is making decisions that are destructive and dreadful? I am watching a friend of mine go through this situation. The only thing I can say is that you must allow people to make their own decisions.
Jul 29 2009
Traditions of Men
Most families have certain ways of doing things, don’t they? You probably feel that your family celebrates the holidays like no other family. Your family travels to destinations unlike other families. When a new person is added to the family, such as through marriage, it may seem a bit awkward until that person gets used to the way things are done in your family.
Jun 19 2009
My Father, My Friend
The world is vast, yet small in many ways. I simply have a tough time keeping my life organized because I am in a different country every month. I returned from the Democratic Republic of the Congo this month and I am scheduled to be in Argentina in July and Venezuela in August. In the meantime, by a wonderful miracle, I will be able to spend Father’s Day with my dad, Dr. Gordon Mathes, who lives in Memphis, Tenn. The miracle is I’ll be preaching on Father’s Day at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Tenn., less than 90 miles away from Memphis. What are the chances of that!