Loneliness is one of the most common and most devastating emotions of life. Loneliness is being the new kid at school and nobody knows your name. It’s moving to a new town and leaving all your friends behind. It’s your parents going through a divorce and you don’t know which one you’re going to live with. It’s coming home to an empty house after burying your nearest and dearest. It’s driving aw...
Dr. Pat Thomas, my dear friend and one of Tyler’s finest physicians, told me of a little girl who was asked shortly after Christmas, “Did you get all you wanted for Christmas?” She replied, “No! But it wasn’t my birthday!”
She had learned at an early age one of life’s greatest lessons: Life did not revolve around her and getting. It revolves around him and giving.
After all it...
A friend told me birthdays are good for you. People who have lots of them usually live a long time. In 2001 I had bypass surgery. I had seven of those suckers – that’s right, seven. That’s all you can have. I wanted to have eight so I could make the Guinness Book of World Records, but my doctor said seven is the maximum.
After the surgery the doctor said, “I think I bought you ten more...
The Bible is the greatest textbook on marital relations ever written. All other books are but amplifications, illustrations, and applications of the basic truths in the Bible.
In many places the Bible sets out the duties of a husband to his wife. Here they are as a good reminder to every husband.
1. Love her. The first and most often–mentioned responsibility of...
Years ago, a local newspaper carried an article entitled, “West Texas Gold Discovery Richest in Years.” It pointed out that gold flakes had been found in 18 sandy West Texas acres that its owners had previously been using to raise peanuts.
When random samples were sent to the Colorado School of Mines, assay reports concluded it was one of the richest finds in modern times. Think of it...
One Sunday a young man dressed in a suit and sitting on the third-row aisle listened and watched with such rapt attention that he caught my eye. At the close of the service an usher introduced him to me. Jason, a local seminary student, extended his hand and said, “It’s an honor to meet you.” (Obviously, Jason had read some of my books.)
I responded, “No! No, it’s an honor for me to mee...
The last battle of the Civil War was fought March 12-13, 1865 near Brownsville in Cameron County, Texas. Ironically it was fought more than a month after the South had surrendered and the war was over.
The Texans won the battle, but 118 men lost their lives. The men invested all they had – their courage, their skill, their blood, and their futures – all for nothing.
The reason...
A man sat down at a banquet table and the place setting name tag next to his read, “Emily Post”. He assumed it was the famed columnist who was an expert on table manners. He asked the lady sitting there, “Are you Emily Post?” She replied, “Yes, I am.” He asked again, “Are you the Emily Post?” She replied, “Yes, I am.”
He asked a third time, “Are you the Emily Post who wrote t...
Someone once asked my wife, “If you had it to do over, would you have children again?” She responded, “Yes, but not the same ones.” Every parent feels that way at times. When I started preaching years ago, I had a sermon entitled, “Ten Commandments for Parents.” After our first child, I changed the title to “Ten Hints for Parents.” After our second child, I changed the title to “A Few Tentative...
Knute Rockne was one of the greatest football coaches ever. In his 13 years at Notre Dame, his teams won 105 games, lost 12, and tied 5. He never had a secret practice. In fact, he sometimes put up a sign for visitors that said, “Secret practice. Come and bring your notebooks.”
On one occasion when an Army scout missed a train connection and didn’t get to the Notre Dame game he was to cover, Rockne obligingly sent him the plays he planned to use against the West Point men. He explained his actions by saying, “It isn’t the play that wins; it’s the execution.”
All great coaches agree: champions are made by majoring on the fundamentals – blocking and tackling. They execute well. Teams seldom win by trick plays or gimmicks.
The same is true of life. Tricks and gimmicks will seldom get you to the top in any endeavor and can never keep you there. Major on the basics in all of life – work hard, honor God, be honest, kind and helpful to others, and go to church regularly.