Ever felt rejected? It is awful. A terrible, universal experience. Everyone has been there—or will be. Jesus knows the sting of rejection. He was rejected by powerful religious leaders, by government prosecutors, by the people of his hometown who tried to stone him the day He began His ministry (Luke 4:29), by the crowds shoutingContinue reading “Rejection.”
Author Archives: Steven Wales
Famous Last Words.
In the spring of 1985, Willie Wales was dying. A child of another century, he was born in 1897. Now he was 88 and nearly bedridden. He picked up emphysema during a 40-year career at ESSO Baton Rouge, the world’s largest oil refinery. The lung disease wrecked his health. We went to visit. I wasContinue reading “Famous Last Words.”
A Whole Heart.
Distracted attention: when you are looking at your phone and walk into a wall—that is distraction. Just as your attention can be distracted, so also your HEART can be distracted. Is your heart wholly loyal to God and His calling for your life? When David’s life was coming to a close, he commissioned his sonContinue reading “A Whole Heart.”
A Father’s Prayer.
When children are small, parents do everything for them. It is difficult work. It’s rewarding, of course—but parenting can be overwhelming. It consumes your entire life for a few years. In the beginning, parents have all the AGENCY, that is, parents have control over actions and consequences: everything important in a child’s life is decidedContinue reading “A Father’s Prayer.”
God Expects You to Teach Your Children.
God expects you to teach your children about Him. Will you be ready? Do you know enough? You will teach them to walk and talk and ride a bike and clean their rooms and cook a meal. What will you teach them about the Lord? “Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them WHATContinue reading “God Expects You to Teach Your Children.”
He is Your Keeper.
Keeping animals, being a “keeper” as the old-timers called it, means providing food, shelter, and protection for animals. And as if that were not enough, after dark cowboys on the trail would sing to calm the cattle with their voices. Keepers love their animals. Even cattle ranchers develop a fondness for these huge beasts theyContinue reading “He is Your Keeper.”
Your Mind is a Garden.
YOU are the gardener. Pull up the weeds—the bad thoughts, and PLANT good, BIBLICAL thoughts. You will reap what you sow, that is, you will harvest what you plant. So plant God’s truth in your mind, so that you will harvest a great future with God. Here are some thoughts to plant in your mind:Continue reading “Your Mind is a Garden.”
Parenting is Teaching.
Bringing home a newborn is overwhelming. There are diapers, bottles, and constant crying. Babies require 24-7 care, and it is an extraordinary challenge. But as quickly as some of the tasks become routine, new challenges crop up. Parents have to teach children … EVERYTHING. How to eat, how to dress, how to clean up, howContinue reading “Parenting is Teaching.”
Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin.
Preparing for my father’s “Celebration of Life” service gave me a lot of time to reflect on his long and active life. But one truth came to me after the work was done and the service concluded: Grandpa was successful because he DID NOT SPREAD HIMSELF TOO THIN. He flew radio-controlled planes rather than earnContinue reading “Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin.”
When Friends Become Enemies.
Have you watched relationships change? It’s amazing when an enemy becomes a friend. That is the greatest feeling, a debt converted to an asset. I’ve seen a few of my “enemies” become friends over the years, and it is so satisfying. But when it goes the other way, it is devastating. When people you loveContinue reading “When Friends Become Enemies.”
Household Words: 