The Mid-Week Memo

Your opinion! A friend shared this with me recently. I had to share it with you. Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” • Why it fits: This shows that God wants us to trust His wisdom over our own opinions. Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the…

A year after making Dallas Buyers Club, Matthew McConaughey won the Oscar for Best Actor. The next day his kids asked him, “Papai, what did you get that trophy for?” As a father who wants his children to appreciate the value of delayed gratification, I recognized this as a cool opportunity to teach them, McConaughey writes. I said, “Remember a year ago when we were in New Orleans and I was already at work before you woke up in the morning and every night…

Scientists unveiled something stunning—a colorized 3D reconstruction of the largest mammalian brain map ever created. Using just a cubic millimeter of neural tissue (roughly the size of a grain of sand) from a mouse’s brain, researchers identified over 200,000 neurons, 523 million neural connections, and produced 22 years’ worth of HD video data from that tiny fragment alone. Let that sink in. To collect the data, the researchers showed short video clips ,…

In the Jesus Calling Daily that arrives in my inbox each morning here’s what it said today. “Waiting patiently does not come easily to you, but it is nonetheless very good for you. You long to plan ahead, make definitive decisions, and make things happen. There is a time for that, but this is not the time. Now is a time for sitting in My Presence, trusting Me with your whole being.” (From Jesus Listens by Sarah Young) Was that God speaking? I’m sure…

As we enter the Spring season, it’s a pleasant reminder of God’s faithfulness. Spring is the season of new beginnings, a time of renewal and rebirth, and a reminder of Gods loving promise of new life. I like this quote from Goodreads: “Spring signifies hope for renewal, birth/rebirth, new love/romance, and starting anew. It's a season that reminds us that change is possible and that there's always room for growth.” Spring is also a time to…

Steve has had issues with his back for the last ten years, which at times are debilitating. As a result, he needs solid lumbar support in any chair he sits in for more than a few minutes. Being in full-time ministry, there is not much money left for extras. We purchased a good office chair for Steve, and in the evenings, when we spend time together, he rolls that chair into the living room, as our other furniture does not provide enough support. However, that solution was…

I was an officer in our High School Navy Junior ROTC chapter many moons ago. My goal? The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and the eventual rank of Admiral. One of my favorite drills was charting the course of our carrier group. I gathered nautical charts, a compass, a divider, and a parallel ruler, and headed out to sea - theoretically, but it felt real. Yet, the Core Principle informed me that a one-degree error in heading will result in being off…

A friend of mine just listed a property for sale at nearly $2 million. Over 8,000 square feet with acres of land and a beautiful built-in pool and deck, it’s an impressive home. I looked at the size, the majestic architecture, the circular driveway and entrance with all the upscale accoutrements. I remembered a day when I would have lusted after such opulence. Honestly, this home would not have been big enough for me. I accumulated some pretty cool stuff. Oceanfront,…

How should we respond when we find ourselves in the midst of difficult circumstances? How do we navigate through the challenging terrain of life, when our path winds downward into the valley, as inevitably it will? We all love mountaintop experiences, the sweet smell of success, and the thrill of victory. When all is right in the world, and our joy is at its zenith, we long to cling to those seasons and would likely stay there forever if we could. But on this side of,…