toddcast

I have a couple of thoughts: Thought number one!   What am I doing to strengthen myself spiritually?   If you're reading this you probably go to church on Sundays, and that's good.   It’s real good and I strongly encourage it.   Sunday worship is like getting a spiritual infusion that seems to give you that boost that you need to face another week. You're wise to go to church because you recognize that living spiritually isn’t the easiest thing to do.   So kudos to you.   But, let's face it -- if you really want to be a spiritual stud you're going to need more than an hour or two. So, what else are you doing to get spiritually stronger?   What daily disciplines do you have in place to supplement what we're doing on Sunday morning?   I could tell you what to do, but really you need to decide because only you know and only you choose what you are going to do!   Doing almost always is preceded by a question, so ask yourself the questi...

One of my favorite Old Testament stories is about a prophet of God named Elijah.   He was often harassed by the wicked king of Israel, Ahab, and his even more wicked wife, Jezebel.   In spite of this formidable opposition, Elijah experienced more than a few victories for the Lord.   One of those included an impressive victory over the prophets of a pagan god Baal on Mount Carmel.   He challenged the false prophets to a divine duel and the Lord showed up   big-time displaying his power by sending fire from heaven.   It was certainly a highlight of Elijah's ministry, but his celebration was short-lived as Ahab and Jezebel ramped up their efforts to silence this prophet of God.   Elijah, running for his life, found himself alone and depressed in a cave in the wilderness.   God, who had seemed so present on Mount Carmel, seemed all too silent as Elijah moped in the cave. He needed a fresh revelation of God and God gave it to him - but n...

A Back To School Prayer (Offered at the Park Avenue Church of Christ as all our school staff was called to the front of the worship center) Lord, I pray your blessing and favor over this school year. I pray that as these young minds explore the wonderful world you have made that at every turn they may see You. May they see you... ...in the beauty of art and music and literature ...in contemplating the marvelous universe you have created ...in the complexities of the human body ...in the struggle of competition ...in the reassuring logic of mathematics ...in the study of human behavior ...at work through the centuries of human history ...in the intricacies of information and technology ...in all the vastness of knowledge and truth But above all... ...May they see you through these Christian teachers, administrators, and staff. ...Bless these people, your servants who stand before us this day, that your glory may shine through them. ...Gra...

This Pluto stuff amazes me!   Ever since I was a child I have been intrigued by our solar system and space itself.   I remember staring up into the sky wondering how big the universe was and debating whether it went on forever or had some end.   Neither option really made sense to me which just added to the wonder of it all.   So to see pictures of Pluto like we've never seen before has just been simply fascinating. Pluto is far away.   The New Horizons space probe left Earth nine years ago and has traveled some three billion miles at a speed of about 36,000 miles per hour.   It takes about four and a half hours for radio signals from the probe to get back to earth.      That is a long way away, but in comparison to the size of the universe, it's not very far at all. For instance, the nearest star to our solar system is over four light years away.   In other words, it takes light four years to travel from the nearest star t...

There certainly has been a lot of discussion, debate, and diatribe concerning the Confederate flag recently, hasn't there?   I grew up in the north so I was more likely to see a Canadian flag than a Confederate one, and even though I have lived in Texas for quite some time I'm hardly the one to chime in on the issue.   So I'm not going to weigh in on that debate, but I will say that the whole discussion has served to remind me of the power of symbols.   While nary one word is displayed on that flag it speaks volumes.   To some the voiceless emblem tells a story of a bygone era of a simpler and sweeter time.   To others the wordless banner tells a story of horror and oppression.   The flag, a mere symbol, evokes powerful emotions.   The very sight of it can call to mind memories both good and evil.   The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words.   Perhaps a symbol is worth far more.      One thing...