Getting a Handel on Christmas - Devotions from the Road of Life

"Christmas was near as daddy and I attended a dinner program on the campus of the New Orleans Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I don't remember much about the dinner or the program - after all, I was just a child reveling in the joy of being with my dad at a grown-up event - but I remember the end of the evening vividly."

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A Christmas Heart - Devotions from the Road of Life

"Is Christmas a day, a season or a way of life? Can you change the way you prioritize it?


Lord, help me keep a Christmas heart-
A heart that holds the season dear..."

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Thanksgiving Meditation

"As we approach Thanksgiving, let us remember not only the physical things God gives us, but also the second chances and fresh starts He offers. Most of all, let us remember the greatest Gift of all, His Son.

Father, please accept our meager thanks and keep us in a grateful spirit every day. When we get so busy that we forget to say the words, may You find them inscribed on our hearts in praise for You."

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Autumn's Gems - Devotions from the Road of Life

"Ecclesiastes reminds us that 'to everything there is a season.' As the season of autumn surrounds us, we have an opportunity to sample a tiny bit of God's riches through the gems of His creation."

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Training the Next Generation-Devotions from the Road of Life

"I know that Father's Day is a few months past, but lately I've found myself dwelling on the subject of fatherhood and parenting in general. A couple of things have honed my focus.

The first is the latest movie from Sherwood Productions, 'Courageous.'"

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'God Bless You': Offended by God - Devotions from the Road of Life

"A recent news story related the uproar caused by a teacher banning the phrase 'God bless you' following a sneeze. He lowered students’ grades and generally seems to feel that a sneeze is a bad enough disturbance without the addition of a phrase following it. Later reports indicated that the class in question was using the blessing to deliberately cause a disruption, a sad indictment of the faith level of those students."

Claim or Shame? Which Best Describes Your Attitude Toward God? Read more here. 

Reaching Out to the 'Least'

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Matthew 25: 40, King James Version

In these days of economic problems, the words of Jesus ring ever more true. No matter where we look, there are "the least of these my brethren" needing our help. For one California school teacher, this premise shines as a guiding light.


Learn how one person reaches out here.

Filling My Spiritual Tank

"I find certain Bible verses draw me when I am feeling as though I am at the end of my resources. When I have to take a deep breath and say, 'Lord, I'm worn out. I can't keep going. It's up to You
 now.' That's when He sends a reminder from His Word and fills my tank with His power."

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Triumphant Entry for a Gentle King - Devotions from the Road of Life

"You came on a donkey, not in a chariot,

With a retinue working people:

Fishermen, farmers, tax collectors and such.

No armored guards, weapons glinting in the sun."

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Artwork courtesy of FreeChristImages.org.

At the Foot of the Cross - a Poem of Good Friday

As Good Friday approaches, what's on your mind? Here's what I've been thinking about.

Why isn't it raining?

The very skies should be weeping.
Evil has taken Goodness
And impaled It on a cross.
Our hopes lay shattered
In the splattered blood coloring the dirt
Beneath the vicious construction.


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Easter in My Heart - a Look at Some Scriptures that Mean Easter to Me

"Easter brings with it conflicting emotions: the sorrow of the crucifixion, the fear of the followers, and the joy of the discovery of His resurrection. Promises made and promises kept pass in review as I ponder the meaning of Easter.

Before He was taken, Jesus talked about the difficult times ahead. He promised peace and a place with Him."

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Calvary-The First Christmas Tree

"I recently had a strange sort of a thought. I don't know where it could have come from, except from God, because I don't think I could have come up with this alone. Here it is: the very first Christmas tree was the Cross of Calvary.

As I pondered the idea, I realized how much sense it made. If we call the day 'Christmas' or 'Christ-mass,' a mass celebrating His birth as the start of a sacrifice, then the very first Mass was the day of His sacrifice, the Crucifixion. Which would make the cross to which He was nailed the tree of the first Christ-mass."

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Didn't You Used to Be...? - Devotions from the Road of Life

In an old movie I saw recently, a scene took place between a faded celebrity and a cocky young man. The young fellow approached the older one in a restaurant and asked, in a sneering tone, "Didn't you used to be...?" and he gave the character's name.

The young man meant to demean the older man in an attempt to impress his buddies. His tone implied "You're a has-been. You're nobody now, just an object of pity. You're a relic."

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The Miracle of Twelfth Night - Devotions from the Road of Life

Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo Da Vinci

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” Matthew 2:10-12, King James Version

January 6 marks Kings Day or Twelfth Night, the day traditionally set aside as the arrival of the wise men at the birthplace of Jesus. In some cultures, the day is celebrated as Little Christmas.

I often wonder about the magi. The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about them. We have no names or detailed descriptions, only the bare bones facts that they came, they worshipped, they brought gifts and they thwarted Herod’s plan to locate the Holy Infant.
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