Grief and Tragedy make us uncomfortable. We don't know what to say to someone who is grieving, but we feel we must say something. And so we often say things in desperation, hoping...
I remember how I would feel as a semester of college came to an end. The moment after the last final was filled with such a sweet sense of freedom. I remember yelling...
Jacob, in his blessing of Joseph's sons, referred to the Lord as "the God who has been my shepherd all my life, to this very day" (Gen. 48:15). What a contrast to Jacob's...
In our day, it is common and expected for the government to care for people in need, without taking them as slaves...
I've got all my kids hooked on home improvement shows. We'll pile on the couch, and talk through design choices, the fickle nature of taste, all the while anticipating "the reveal." We like them...
Everyone talks about success. Even preachers nowadays. They have sermon series about how you can be successful with God. But how do we define success, exactly? The truth is, your definition of...
When he finally had an audience with Pharaoh, Jacob blessed Pharaoh, twice, in fact. At first this might seem odd to us, because we'd expect Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Jacob's world, to...
What a touching scene! After years and years of separation, Jacob was finally reunited with his beloved son, Joseph. It comes as no surprise, given what we have seen of Joseph's strong emotions,...
Lust. Greed. Anger. The big three of the Seven Deadly Sins appear in the headlines every day. They're also alive and well...
For years, Jacob had believed his son Joseph had been killed by wild animals. He never stopped grieving the loss of his favored son. When Joseph's brother, Benjamin, went to Egypt, Jacob feared...
Good leaders are courageous. History records leaders who lack courage as poor leaders, but the great ones are remembered for facing fear head on, taking risks, and changing the world. In a vacuum...
I have two jobs. The one which pays the mortgage is teaching science in a college; the other (which pays very little) is writing science fiction/fantasy. In theory, they both absolve me from...
Men and women typically use different body language and different voice cues when communicating. Many men have a tendency to be very direct, loud, demanding, and somewhat forceful. Men can be...
Let's face it. People are difficult to love. They whine, complain, they rarely listen. And what about all those annoying little habits? No matter how much of a "people person" you may be, there...
Joseph expressed one of the great mysteries of our faith, the wonder of God's sovereignty. To the brothers who had indeed mistreated him by selling him into slavery, Joseph said, "So then, it was...
Conversational parenting is both spontaneous and purposeful. Life and connection do happen in the margins of life, where little planning occurs, but being purposeful also helps communication immensely. Consider these two scenarios: Scenario...
We must drink. Or die. Yet, dare I confess? Too often, miserably too often, I don't want to drink from His cup. I thirst for God's goodnesses. I pant for his blessings. But...
Earlier in Genesis, we were introduced to Joseph the self-centered young man who dreamt of his own glory. He delighted in being the favored son of his father, angering his brothers with his...
"C'mon, Mom, you can break the law! There are no cars for miles."My 11-year-old son cajoled me to run the red light...
In our society, excellence has become a goal to obtain, a test score to achieve, a set of rules to follow or a value to have. But where is the standard? Every teacher...
