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It’s never good when someone tells you, “Hey… you look a little tired.” Perhaps you should call the doc when several people start telling you that. Last Sunday, as we were meeting at Smyrna First Baptist, several people asked, “How ya doin’ with all the change?” “You dealing with the chaos, OK?” One or two of those comments, and you can brush things aside. With several of those kinds of remarks, you gotta check your face! I did. I wasn’t…
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Choose Life My day was busy and scheduled full. I had not yet done my morning exercise routine and showered – when my cell phone lit up. It was my chiropractor. For years we had threatened to hike Kennesaw Mtn. Every Fall, we cajole each other about our elusive hike. I eventually wrote it all off, thinking my doctor didn’t want to cross some imposed patient line. I had left it alone and forgotten our idle threat. My cell phone…
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When the Israelites were desert-dwelling, I’m sure they were hot (as in hot mess). I know they had to be a bit dusty and uncomfortable. I’ve been in an Arizona sand storm. It’s just not fun. For the Israelites, the food grew tiresome. Same bread. Same meat. Water from rocks wasn’t flavored or sparkling, so it seemed to lose its miraculous pizzazz after a while. Running seemingly purposelessly around deserts just sucks for any who have tried. But here’s what’s…
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Celebrating Mother’s Day this past week was such a joyful reminder that nobody loves me quite like my mom. I’m sure many of you share the same sentiment. But just as important may be the idea that nobody KNOWS me quite like my mom. She certainly has insight about me that no one else has. In fact, my kids love listening to her talk about my quirks and tendencies, and about all of the stuff that I conveniently leave out…
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The pressure is on for men everywhere. Mother’s Day looms. Guys, you gotta get this one right. You either caused great pain on the day of your birth, or you’re gonna cause some pain if you don’t remember the moms in your life. If you don’t have a spouse who is a mother, and/or your mom has passed, it behooves (great word) your very soul to remember and celebrate. This is important stuff. I don’t know what I was thinking.…
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Tax season is over… for most. Many stayed up late on April 14th to get their precipitous package postmarked by midnight on the 15th. Many Americans go right down to the wire because they have an incredibly hard time figuring out their tax balance sheet. Some families do this at the end of each month. What’s the old saying, “We’ve got more month left over at the end of the money?” It’s a balance sheet problem. There is working, sweating,…
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I’ve never really been good at small talk. Honestly, it always seems to be in the way of much more valuable conversation. But of course, you can’t just rush into a deep conversation with someone. That’s weird. So, I usually find myself in one of two extremes – either saying too much too soon, or saying nothing at all. Awkward, right? Somehow, I think our communication patterns with each other bleed into our relationship with God. Perhaps, the Lord longs…
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Words are critical. Words speak. Rachel Wolchin wrote these penetrating words: “Be mindful when it comes to your words. A string of some that don’t mean much to you, may stick with someone else for a lifetime.” I was a part of a generation who coined the ground-breaking phrase, “Word Up!” When something outstanding was said, and we wholeheartedly agreed, we’d swag our intonation and blurt, “Word up.” Eventually, a much cooler, hip hop crowd distanced themselves from nerdier types…
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The Waffle House was buzzing. The grill was sizzling. The coffee was brewing. Cars were coming and going. Waitresses were turning tables as fast as people could eat. It was the haze and daze of a busy dawn of Friday. Waffle House seemed to mirror and mimic the pace of our non-stop culture. Two good friends were meeting me for breakfast. We each confessed the many things going on in our lives as we choked down scrambled eggs and mediocre…
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Sometimes it feels like my life is made up of a bunch of spinning wheels. The more hurried I am, the more the wheels seem to spin. Blood, Sweat, and Tears once sang about spinning wheels. “What goes up must come down. Spinnin’ wheel got to go ’round. Talkin’ ’bout your troubles, it’s a cryin’ sin. Ride a painted pony, let the spinnin’ wheel spin.” Does your life ever feel like an exhausted ride on a merry-go-round where the spinnin’…
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