Steven Wales

Screenagers.

I saw my nephew reading HOMER PRICE and had a flashback of my ten-year-old self crawling under the covers with a flashlight to read that hilarious book! Did you ever read a book when you were supposed to be asleep? —It is one of those odd infractions parents can be ambivalent about: sure, he’s stayingContinue reading “Screenagers.”

Is God in This?

I memorized these beautiful words years ago: “Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, To retire late, To eat the bread of painful labors; For He gives toContinue reading “Is God in This?”

Dream Deferred.

I had a mid-life crisis yesterday. I remembered things I hope to do, places I hope to visit, dreams I hope to accomplish, and thought “I’ll never make it.” The year 2002 seems like yesterday—time has FLOWN! In another twenty years, I’ll be in my 70s. That’s discouraging. I have served God faithfully, but I’mContinue reading “Dream Deferred.”

Self-Help Overkill.

Publishers have made a mint on the self-help market. People anxious to “help themselves” spend millions annually on books covering: 1) money management, 2) dieting, 3) following your dreams, 4) “mindfulness,” 5) healing, 6) reaching goals and being organized, 7) reducing worry, 8) handling change, 9) new age/ the “law of attraction,” 10) family andContinue reading “Self-Help Overkill.”

You Can’t Unsee It.

‘IMPRINTING’ describes what happens to birds when they first hatch. Their minds are particularly fresh, like camera film that has never seen the light. So if their first moments are with their mother, the chicks are drawn to her instantly. But if their first moments are with someone else—a scientist, perhaps—they may be drawn toContinue reading “You Can’t Unsee It.”

You Are Not Your Own.

“I hate my calves.” “I’m too fat.” “I’m too skinny.” “I’m too stupid.” “I’m too short.” Have you ever heard a parent tell their child not to talk bad about himself? Kids always argue: “I can say it, because I’m talking about myself, not someone else.” (But you’re hurting MY child.) Is it acceptable toContinue reading “You Are Not Your Own.”

God Can Use You in Your Final Days.

We recently moved my father into a memory care center because of Alzheimer’s disease. I found it difficult to watch him leave his home and his wife and move alone into the equivalent of a college dormitory—where he knows no one and, as independent as he is, will certainly be confused at first. But God’sContinue reading “God Can Use You in Your Final Days.”

Do You Need God to Lead You?

When does God speak? If you need His wisdom and direction, when can you get it? Can you do anything to “encourage” God to speak to you? David commented on this in Psalm 25. “When people choose to follow the Lord—to fear and obey the Lord—He shows them the best way to live.… The LordContinue reading “Do You Need God to Lead You?”

The Voice of God.

Does God speak to people today? If He does, how can you know His voice? I believe God speaks not only through His word, but also through our hearts, circumstances, and other people. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and they follow me” John 10:27. Isaiah wrote, “Your ears will hear a word behindContinue reading “The Voice of God.”

Obedience, Holiness, Glory.

Do you remember Uzzah? He touched the ark of the covenant and died. “Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord burned and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died” 2 Samuel 6:6-7. Why did heContinue reading “Obedience, Holiness, Glory.”