I’ve come to a conclusion about my children. They have to be regularly beaten if they’re ever going to learn anything. The beatings may take time out of my day, energy out of my life, and wear me out emotionally and physically, but I have got to keep beating them if they are ever going to grow into responsible adults. I encourage parents everywhere to lovingly and patiently beat your kids in the name of God, for your children’s good, and the glory of Jesus. Continue reading
Kids are annoying. Sometimes they ask you really annoying questions which expose your lack of faith in God. If I had known the Lord was going to use my children to humble and teach me, then I probably would have just gotten another dog or maybe a ferret. I’ve always thought ferrets were cool.
My wife and I had been through three days of spiritual discouragement, doubt, and frustration. There was a particular need in our lives and we had no idea how we were going to take care of it. I don’t know what a spiritual attack from Satan feels like, but it certainly felt like our “adversary the devil was prowling around…seeking someone to devour,” (1 Peter 5:8).
Truthfully, I don’t know what my wife’s problem was. Why wouldn’t she just trust God? I was pretty ashamed of her lack of faith. What about me, you ask? Well I obviously had no problem resting in the timing, goodness, and faithfulness of God? I mean really…I was totally trusting God…um…solid like a rock…well… Continue reading
My wife and I were excited. We were going to end our day by taking our kids to the neighborhood pool. Work had been rough, the temperature seared the atmosphere just below 100 degrees, and the kids, who had been cooped up inside all day, needed to get out and release some energy. My youngest daughter had recently gotten over her fear of going in the big pool without her protective flotation vest. She was so excited to show me how she could swim by herself. My wife prepared dinner early so we could get to the pool and enjoy the last moments of the day as a family. It looked like a fine ending to a long day.
Unfortunately our hopes were about to be dashed by an “incident”. Continue reading
Have you ever heard the phrase, “beating a dead horse”?
Question: Why would you want to beat a dead horse? If it’s already dead, then why beat it?
Well that’s kind of the point. To beat a dead horse means you repeatedly address a topic or subject long after your point has been made. So what does this have to do with Matthew? I’m glad you asked. Matthew is about to beat a dead horse, (figuratively speaking), and in this case it’s going to be a good thing. Continue reading
The Old Man turns 65 on June 22, 2015. Those of us who know him celebrate his work, love, integrity, and service.
Let me tell you a bit about The Old Man. He was born on in Douglas, Georgia, the second of three boys born to John and Katherine Hendley. His dad was an optometrist and his mother was a fiesty homemaker, (think Katherine Hepburn’s character in the movie Rooster Cogburn). As a boy the Old Man was raised at 2588 Delano Drive in Macon and attended TD Tinsley Elementary School. When he was 12 years old his family moved to Albany, Georgia, and he attended and graduated from Albany High.
For reasons we cannot explain the Old Man decided to attend the University of Georgia his freshman year of college. He ultimately came to his senses and transferred to Georgia Tech where he graduated, (eventually), with a degree in Behavioral Management. Not much is known about his time at college, because the Old Man won’t talk about it. It is believed he was involved with a group of hooligans who may or may not have resembled the characters from Animal House. Sources will neither confirm or deny that the Old Man once attempted to steal the “T” from the TECH tower. Continue reading
My children will get what’s coming to them. They’ll be paid back for the way they’ve treated me. My wife and I will have our revenge.
You may think I’m some sort of sociopath. To this I reply, 1) You may be right, and 2) I’m not crazy, I just have children.
For every dumbfounded “I don’t know”, each whiny voiced cry, every broken household item, and any spilled beverage, sticky candy, or unidentified goo found under the car seats, we will have our revenge. They will get paid back for the stains on our walls, the broken furniture, and any ruined electronics destroyed by their sticky or slippery fingers.
When I spend unnecessary hours of my life repeating the same things over and over again, only to have my children completely forget what I just told them, I can take comfort in knowing they’ll get their just desserts. Continue reading
A while back I talked about Matthew and how we really don’t need his gospel, (sort of). The bottom line is Matthew wrote his gospel with a purpose and a people in mind. He was writing to the Jews, (the people), to help them see that Jesus was the promised Messiah, (the purpose). This helps us see why he wrote the way he did. Matthew chose specific incidents and messages in Jesus’ life to highlight how Jesus was the Messiah and to call the Jews to believe in Christ.
So Matthew, a Jewish believer in Christ, is going to write the longest of the four gospel accounts. He is passionate about seeing his fellow Jews come to Christ. He’s going to write an awesome gospel account. It’s going to blow people’s minds. Therefore he’s going to start with a really exciting sentence, right? So what does he start off with?
“This is the record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
Whoa, whoa, whoa! What is this? This isn’t interesting. Only history buffs like family trees. This is BO-RING. Obviously Matthew was not in marketing and did not go to writer’s conferences. This is not a good opening line. No one is going to want to read about Jesus ancestors…or will they? Continue reading
