To Live Is...

I am teaching an online class on Philippians (and you will hear me talk more about it). In preparing for this week, I spent time meditating on 1:21. “ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” In the class we will closely examine the context, but whatever the context, certain things are true.

Venezuela

Sometimes I have been brought to a needed mind change because of something I read in the Scriptures, sometimes because of something another person does that inspires me, but also, sometimes because I hear about what others are going through. In the latter case, I usually see that others are facing, with faith, a situation far more challenging than my own.

Low Battery; Please Charge!

Please don’t think I am complaining, but so much of my life in this era is spent making sure that any number of devices get recharged. There is my cell phone, my Kindle, my Bluetooth headsets, my Chromebook (which I am using to type this), my electric shaver, the cordless house phones, and, because of my MS and at the top of my list, electric mobility devices (usually known as scooters or powerchairs) that keep me moving from point A to point B.  

Tempt-Away

I have been profiting from Guy Hammond’s new book, intriguingly titled Tempt-Away. After a clever introduction, Guy quickly gets down to business and gives practical counsel on facing and responding to temptations. I’m not sure I can remember another book I’ve read with this purpose, but this one will help many.

The Perfect Gift

This week's moment comes from Sheila, as will be obvious.

Our family draws names for Christmas every year (only 87 shopping days left). Then we try to figure out the best $30 gift we can buy—hopefully one that will be just right for the intended person. No socks, ties, or fruit cakes allowed!

When we open our gifts, we, of course, want to know who they are from. We take turns unwrapping so we can enjoy each other’s gifts. After all, Christmas is certainly not a time to be focused on ourselves.

The Sunny Side

After the Cohen brothers’ cult classic, “O Brother Where Art Thou,” was released in the year 2000, my wife and I quickly became fans of the music sound track released with the film. More broadly, we found ourselves becoming bluegrass enthusiasts and passed that CD on to my parents.

It was not long before we heard back from my mother that she was playing it nearly every day and had a special fondness for the Carter family song, sung on the album by the Whites, called “Keep on the Sunny Side.”

Mom's Mind

Since this is the first "Moment" you have received in a while you might like an explanation. From time to time over the last few years we have missed a few weeks that were unannounced, so when an out-of-town trip at the beginning of August made it difficult to get something out, it did not seem to be a problem.