I woke up in mid-air! Flying off my bed in a cold sweat, I heard my normally-docile Labrador Misty barking, snarling, and smashing her claws against the door with an intensity I’d never seen from her. “Someone must be breaking in,” I thought as I ran down the hallway toward her. I was running and focused on these troubling thoughts when my right little toe met the leg of the credenza in our hall. “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhiiiieeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwchhhhhhhhhhh!” Now my barking and growling was louder than Misty’s. Funny how you can totally forget even critical reasons for being in a hurry when you crush your little toe… Well anyway, while wincing in continued pain, I started to the door. Misty

Note: This article appeared as part of a study guide in our church newsletter during a transition I led toward a more Elder-led structure. It is reprinted here for clarity and/or for use as you see fit… It is my hope and prayer that the restoration or clarification of this biblical office will contribute to the health and growth of the Church of Jesus Christ worldwide. What is an Elder? To answer this question, we need to start at the very beginning of the New Testament Church era. But first, perhaps we should quickly look at what an Elder is NOT. A biblical church Elder is NOT: An elderly or “older” man per se. Someone “elected” to that office by church members. Someone “more important” tha

“Beat you I will, hmmm…” Everyone loves Yoda, perhaps the most popular Star Wars Character of all. Well, one of my “claims to fame” is that I played him in racquetball—and got whipped! Actually, I played Dr. Kermit Nelson, an instructor/coach of mine in Big Sandy, TX. At the time, he was in his mid-60’s. He was short, wrinkled, and looked a bit like Yoda. I took his racquetball course in college and remember his challenge—“If you play me and win, I’ll buy you a frogurt.” I loved frozen yogurt so I was “in.” After all, how hard could it be for a 20 year old like me to beat an old man? I was on the basketball team, I worked out, I ran. This would be easy--right?! Yeah… The match is kind of a b

I counseled a lady years ago with severe PTSD from a history of abuse. She would orchestrate these fake crisis and seek help from everyone a

I don't care who you are or what you've done. In fact, it doesn't matter what you HAVEN'T done or accomplished either. Trust

Emotional scarring is personal. What scars one person may not scar another. Thus, grace, patience, and empathy is critical when dealing with