Looking for an earlier Watchword?
- Saturday, September 5 - Humble and Kind: I love music! All kinds. It is a rare thing not to have music playing in my home or car, mostly through Pandora, so I get my pick. There are a lot of channels that have Christian music, and some of it is the old familiar hymns that you like to sing. Occasionally, they slip in some good, but contemporary, music that just doesn’t appeal to my ear. Give me Sandi Patti to Jars of Clay, please. Some of the great hymns have been drawn from the Psalms. Continue reading
- Friday, September 4 - Humility and Life: I’m in the process of reading Randy Alcorn’s book, Deadline, where he presents an interesting, intriguing, and stereotype-changing picture of Heaven. In the story, there is a conversation between Zyor, a Heavenly Being, not an angel, and a new arrival in Heaven. Zyor explains that you cannot separate joy from truth, because you cannot fully embrace joy except through truth. Zyor continues, “You come from a world where truth is obscured, shrouded, reinterpreted…where lies are mistaken for truths because a majority believe them, as if ... truth (was) subject to a vote. Men choose to believe certain things because they find them flattering, comfortable, and popular. But truth is seldom any of these..." Continue reading
- Thursday, September 3 - Lost and Found: The young couple stood at the door to the counselor’s office, and asked, ”Can we speak with you?” The counselor smiled and motioned for them to come in. The young man said to his friend, “You tell him.” She, in turn, said to him, in tears, “I can’t, you tell him”, and the story came out. It was a story of loss, loss of innocence. There had been an abortion five years before, at the age of 14, and the young woman was lost, deep in depression and delayed grief over her lost child. By the time the story was fully told, the three were in tears. Continue reading
- Tuesday, September 1 - Making the Team: In high school, I learned that I made the basketball team! I had worked hard and had made it! As the first game of the season approached, I was thrilled to know that I would start! A couple of errant passes, a missed layup and a foul, and I found myself on the bench. Crushed! While in college, I had aspirations of becoming an actor. I auditioned for a part in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and was cast in the role of Sebastian, one of the male leads. A few years later, in another city, I auditioned with the local Civic Theater for a role in Bus Stop, and was cast in in the role of Beauregard 'Bo Decker, the male lead. My "aspirations" were encouraged. Still later, while playing the role of Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly! I discovered a major flaw in my plans. Continue reading
- Change of Heart - Change of Heart: How do you change a person’s heart? I can understand how someone could change another’s mind with facts and a persuasive argument. But how does one change a person’s heart? Sometimes there is confusion between a mind-set and a heart-set. Both can be difficult to deal with. I suppose that both could cause a breach between friends, depending on the topic or the circumstance. I believe that our mind-set is something over which we have control. Continue reading
- Saturday, August 29 - Happy Birthday! First things first. Happy (Censored)th birthday to my sister, Shirley Davis, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, a member of this network. Today is her human birthday. I do not know when her Spiritual Birthday occurred, I just know that she had one a long, long, long time ago. Spiritual Birthday. We all have one, you know. That day, some call ‘born again’, is the day we know, with conviction, that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. The story of Nicodemus is an interesting one. Continue reading
- Friday, August 28 - I Am the Greatest! Alright, who first said that and when? If you said Muhammad Ali you would be almost correct! Cassius Clay made that statement in a comedy album that was released in August 1963, six months before he announced his conversion to Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. I am the greatest! I deserve this! I am entitled to more! Only I can do this! No one is better! In our political world, we will probably hear more of this child-fantasy talk and braggadocio (is that a real word?), to the point where we want to scream. Years ago, I wrote an essay entitled “Disappointment” and a portion fits with this meditation. Continue reading
- Thursday, August 27 - We all have favorite verses from the scriptures. Proverbs 3 is one of mine, and another is this: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplications, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” I am sure that you recognize that is from Philippians 4. How can you be anxious for nothing? Seriously, you start out with that as your goal, not to be stressed or anxious, but too often that peace you aspire to keeps slipping just beyond your reach as the day unfolds. In my pre-retirement years, back when I was working on university and college campuses, I loved my work but to say it was stress or anxiety free, now that would be a stretch. Continue reading
- Tuesday, August 25 - The father stood on the high dive platform at the crowded public swimming pool. His young son sat on the edge of the pool, staring admiringly at his father. His eyes widened as his father waved, and then launched himself into what he hoped would be a wonderful dive to impress his son. Somewhere between the platform and the water all went wrong, and he hit the water with a mighty belly-flop that echoed across the pool. The crowd laughed and whistled at the show. The young boy clapped and squealed at what he considered to be a wonderful daredevil performance by his father. His father, overwhelmed with humiliation and struggling to regain his breath, made his way to the pool edge where his son sat. If you were watching you could almost imagine the young boy saying, “do it again daddy!” The daredevil would not be doing it again. Continue reading
- Monday, August 24 - A Journey with Jesus: Let me share with you an imperfect event/time line for Jesus during a month leading up to the Resurrection. As you consider this, imagine you are walking with Jesus, step by step, in sandals, over rough and hilly terrain, through the Jordan River, twice, and the Yarmuk. You have been in Bethsaida, where you witnessed the feeding of the 5,000. He is on a 125-mile journey of ministry through the ten cities of the Decapolis and on south to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, more and more people followed. As you walk along you watch Jesus. It seems that this is an almost casual walk; He pauses, with smiles and little touches, as He ministers, heals, and speaks plainly about love and compassion. You realize that He is showing you how to Love others. At some point, Jesus knows He is traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. And, of course, He knows what else awaits Him there. Continue reading
- Saturday, August 22 - Shirts vs. Skins? In the midst of a nonsensical, go nowhere, political “discussion” that took on more heat than light, the love of my life and I paused in our exchange, to return to our morning devotionals. In the middle of reading the above scripture in Our Daily Bread, we both broke into laughter! How bloody stupid we had been, much like the sillies in Corinth, choosing up sides, seeking a human idol to worship. In the light of this spiritual awareness, it seemed obvious that we were tasting unspiritual milk, and struggling with the solid food of the Word. Do we follow our Lord when it fits our “team”, or do we follow our Lord despite our “team” and what they may proclaim? Besides, who are these “teams” anyway? There is much in the political landscape to cause serious concerns for the believer, the follower of Christ. What is our position on this and that and the other thing? Maybe the better question is, why do we tend to take that malarkey so seriously? Continue reading
- Friday, August 21 - iant Slayer? What are your giants? What causes you fear? Concern? Maybe it is something invisible, yet deadly? Like Covid? Maybe you are like our friends in quarantine, like being in jail, restricted to a room, a wing, a campus. It is a giant, one that has restricted freedoms, isolated us from our families, our loved ones, and yet kept us safe. Maybe your giant is something else. An estrangement from a loved one over something, now hard to recall, lost in grief remembered. Maybe hurt feelings, unintended at the time, yet replayed over and over again, and as the encores repeat, the hurt deepens. Maybe the giant was inherited, passed from one generation to the next, as in Biblical times when the conflict between the Samaritans and Judah persisted from before the Babylonian exile. Continue reading
- Thursday, August 20 - Ice Cream and Faith: When I was a child, it seemed that the only time we would have ice cream would be on birthdays. As I think back on those times, it was like a ritual. Father would leave on a ‘mystery errand’ to Isalys Ice Creamery, down the hill in Steubenville, OH. My two sisters and I always knew what was coming, but our parents treated it like it was a big surprise. And, in truth, it was, because as rarely as we had ice cream, that first taste was a surprise and a reward. Taste and see that the Lord is good happens to each us along this road of faith that we follow, in the footsteps of the Carpenter/Lord. Maybe that first amazing taste of radiant joy came when we first met Jesus the Christ in the midst of a born-again experience and realized that we were cleansed, and our sins forgiven. Maybe your first taste came during a Curisillo weekend, and you left those few days walking on air. Maybe your awareness of joy followed seamlessly, from childhood to adulthood, embracing the faith you saw in your parents. Continue reading
- Tuesday, August 18. - Are You Sin-Free? Have you stopped sinning? Really? In thought, word and deed? What you have done and what you haven’t done? Pure, pure as the driven snow? Really? Interesting. Let me check. Lust. Any lust there? No? How about, envy? Feeling envious of others, even in small ways? Why would I envy others? Judgmental? Do you judge others? Of course not! Anger? Do you bear any anger or hurt feelings toward others? No, they can’t hurt me! Wait a minute. I think I missed a big one. How about pride? Are you proud that you are sin-free? No, no, no. Not pride. I just know I am sin-free. Continue reading
- Monday, August 17 - Without getting too politically incorrect, I wonder who Isaiah the prophet is cautioning about in today’s world? With needs and desperate times growing throughout our country, with the pandemic still expanding in areas and the death toll rising, to whom do our citizens turn to, count on, for help? Where are our leaders? They are home, enjoying their families, or on the golf course or, simply, ignoring the growing need that is right there, before their eyes. Are we getting a taste of what we read about in the Holy Bible, the inflictions visited upon tribes and peoples, and the innocents? I wonder. Continue reading
- Saturday, August 15 - Christian Rules? Years ago, when I was living in Cincinnati, I had a physician friend and colleague who told me, much to my surprise, that she thought she might be an atheist. Nothing would have prepared me for that statement. We chatted about that for a while, and I shared a little of my Walk, then she said something like, “Good for you, Stan. But, you know, I don’t believe anyone can become a compassionate, practicing medical doctor without a conscience.” To which I replied, “You mean, like a Higher Power?” She just smiled. Seeds. What surprised me was that she lives her life dedicated to reaching out and helping the disadvantaged. She isn’t just a good person, she is an active good person who seeks ways where she can make a difference, and she does, volunteering in local clinics, visiting homeless and helping meet their needs for food or clothing. In addition, I believe, she makes significant donations to worthy and needy causes. This person, who claims she is not a Christian, is, nevertheless, acting out Christ’s love in a very real and substantive way. “They will know we are Christians by our love…,” right? Continue reading
- Friday, August 14 - Get in the Boat! Did you note the first phrase in the Matthew passage? “Immediately after this…” Immediately after what? Those faithless guys in the boat had, just that day, witnessed the feeding of the 5000+! It’s no wonder Jesus marveled at their lack of faith. Why did Jesus “insist” that they get back in the boat? Was it a set-up for a lesson they had to learn? That sentence continues with “…and cross to the other side of the lake.” Why cross? We aren’t told. Was this a lesson teaching them not to doubt the Master? Oh, ye of little faith. Then the thick-headed lugs in the boat finally got it. “You really are the Son of God!” Oh, it is you! Then that feeding of the 5,000 wasn’t a trick! Wow. That piece of fish was really good. How did you do that? And the bread so fresh! Continue reading
- Thursday, August 13 - TIME, by Graham Groombridge: Early last Saturday morning I was sitting at a picnic table on our porch at Webster Lake having a little quiet TIME. The sight of the tranquil waters of the lake had a noticeable, peaceful, and calming effect on my thoughts and emotions. With TIME on my hands, I decided to browse through Romano Guardini’s The Lord and settled on a chapter, “The Will of the Father”. It begins with 12-year-old Jesus after his first pilgrimage to Jerusalem when he remained behind in the Temple. Mary, after a long search, chides him. He quietly counter-questions, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49-50 Continue reading
- Tuesday, August 11 - Faith Thoughts, Part 3: Faith and the Real World: Faith and the “real” world. How does that work? Many years ago, two of the Men’s Bible Study groups that I was part of were looking at Islam. In one, I was confronted with a sense of fear, a fear that for all intent and purpose prevented a clear and unfettered discussion of Islam. I failed to keep the conversation focused for there seemed to be such a closed mind, which surprised me. All my brothers seem to be able to concentrate on is violence and what they see as “Allah, the avenger”, out to kill all infidels (Christians, Jews, etc.). A very frustrating discussion. I may have fallen out of favor with them as I have argued that there is only one God, over all of us. Contrary to the thinking of some, Christianity is monotheistic, and the Christian belief is that the one God is “triune” in character: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is a God that is personal, that walks with my walk, that is compassionate, merciful and, above all, forgiving. Continue reading
- Monday, August 10 - Faith Thoughts, Part 2: Resurrection: What about the Resurrection? Christianity without the Resurrection? I don’t believe so. Simply put, in my mind, without the Resurrection there is no Christianity! Early in my “mature” Christian walk, I realized that, if I could not believe in the Resurrection, then I could not be a Christian. That remains central to my faith. As I tried to recall the years of my youth, the hundreds of church services I attended (usually under duress), the hundreds of dad’s sermons heard, slept through, and also read, I did not grasp the importance of the Resurrection, which I feel is so key now. I do see Dad’s emphasis on the ministry of Christ, the power that belief brings to good works, the sense of being a “good” person, and the lessons that Christ’s life teaches us. But the Resurrection? Not so much. Continue reading
