Chocolate or cocoa is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels. It has been consumed in some form for at least 5,300 years. The seeds of the cacao tree have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After fermentation the seeds are dried, cleaned and roasted. Much […]
Sometimes God is wanting to do something “new,” and we are stuck in the “old.” At times it’s hard to let go of what’s familiar. It’s easier to stay “comfortable,” to keep doing what we’ve always done. When something new comes along it often throws us for a loop. If you happen to like change […]
I had a funeral in Colonial Heights this past week for a lady who was 96 years old. The service gave me the opportunity to share with her family that we are all children of God and that Jesus came to prepare us for eternal life. There was once a conference on the various religions […]
As I sat this morning thinking about what to write for a devotion this week, I came across a note from Josh Wortham, the music minister at Chester UMC. He was telling his choir that this Sunday they would sing “People Need the Lord.” I began to hum this song and then couldn’t get it […]
For years, I had a little piece of paper attached to my bathroom mirror which said, “I Promise to Practice What I Preach.” Often I would be engaged in some activity when I would see this paper on my bathroom mirror, and then it would cause me to “undo” or “redo” something. Eugene Peterson is […]
When Carolyn and I moved to Manassas to serve at St. Thomas UMC, I got a call one afternoon that a new member had been involved in a terrible accident. I went to the hospital to find a man close to death. He had a wife and baby, and they were new in our community. […]
John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” We do not work our way to God, but in Christ, God comes to us. The God who makes His home among us is the God who is with us, Emmanuel. Malachi was written around 440-400 B.C. The people were longing to hear from […]
Luke 2:1-5 describes how Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census to be taken. Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem, the town of David. While in Bethlehem, the Savior of the world was born! As you open your Christmas gifts, I hope you realize why we celebrate on this Christmas Day. Jesus was born […]
Without a doubt, Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. Churches have programs, cantatas, children’s pageants, youth Christmas caroling, and the list goes on and on. There are parties, family get-togethers, gift buying and wrapping, and of course there’s always travel. All this business can leave us exhausted. “Jesus is the reason […]
My granddaughter, Cammie, was the stage manager for the play A Charlie Brown Christmas recently at her school. Linus is best known for his blue security blanket. He carries it everywhere. Lucy, his sister, dislikes the blanket and often tries to get rid of it. She buries it, turns it into a kite and into […]