Together We are Stronger

 I heard a story a while back about a father who was sick and his three sons were constantly experiencing friction and difficulty in their relationships with each other.  The dad, wanting his children to see that they were indeed stronger together shared a strange request.  He asked them to each bring 2 sticks to his hospital bed.  With each son present with their sticks, he asked them one by one to attempt to break one of the sticks.  They did so easily.  Then the father asked them to combine each of their remaining sticks together and attempt to break them.  The object lesson needed no explanation.  The point was obvious.  They were stronger together.  Many times in life we can find ourselves like those sons, at odds with those close to us or just find ourselves drifting from family, friends, co-workers, the church, the community…..Remember we are stronger together.   (more…)

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Marriage That Lasts

August 16, 1980, Patty and I made the public commitment to one another – “til death do we part.” It happened in the First Baptist Church of Richmond, Texas. Both of our families were present, along with many friends, most of which were the  band members I had played with or were currently playing with, not in churches, but places that stayed open ‘til midnight or later. 4 1/2 months later, our lives changed directions, as we knew we needed to change our life-style and committed totally to whatever God wanted to do in us, and through us. He became our first love and to this day, He still is.

This summer, we have chosen to celebrate all that God has done since that day in August of 1980. Too many things to count for sure, but what I want to share with you all, is the number one reason why we can celebrate 40 years of marriage. (more…)

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#NoFilter

How are you viewing the current events? #nofilter

Do you remember how popular it was to see photography post a few years ago that were followed by the #nofilter.  It was originally popularized on Instagram.  Instagrammers were trying to show you how awesome their photo turned out without any of the Instagram photo filters that were designed to help the photo look better.  This popular hashtag spilled over to other social media platforms.  A  true filter doesn’t attempt to hide reality, but emphasizes different aspects, moving some things to the background and others to the foreground.  

A filter for a photo in some ways is similar to a world-view.  Your worldview is like a lens through which you attempt to see the world and make sense of things. In other words a world-view is like a filter.   (more…)

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