In school, I was never elected class president. In fact, I never ran for office. When nominated for something, I hated the uncertainty—going out of the room for the discussion, the voting, and...
Although Joseph had been sold into slavery by his brothers and ended up as the property of Potiphar, an Egyptian official, nevertheless God was with Joseph. Thus everything he touched turned to...
"Excellent choice!" That's what the waiter says of Mrs. Griffin's breakfast order. The waiter would be me. My wife is arthritic and appreciates a nice breakfast.
Carl Holmes has posted a piece of stunning and disturbing beauty. Perhaps all real beauty has such an edge to it. The fragrant flowers in front of the church he visited in a...
The story of Joseph is interrupted by Genesis 38, which focuses on Judah and his children. Once again we see a family shattered by unfaithfulness and deception. A young woman named Tamar married...
It's easy to imagine how Joseph, the spoiled child whom his father loved most of all, might have had dreams of his own greatness. And it isn't hard to see why, in his...
Parker Palmer's book of encouragement for teachers called The Courage to Teach helped to recover meaning in their work lives, in the...
Has there ever been a culture or generation that moves as fast as ours? Have any humans who walked this planet multi-tasked and crammed their schedules as full as ours? Maybe. I'm not...
Jacob's parents, Isaac and Rebekah, had twin sons, Esau and Jacob. Each parent had a favorite: Isaac preferred Esau, while Rebekah loved Jacob the most (Genesis 25:28). Thus began a painful...
Genesis 36 summarizes the family tree that grew from Esau. It also includes the family of Seir the Horite, who lived alongside the family of Esau in Edom. Among the descendants were two men named...
Suffering and death remain a mystery. We can understand some kinds of suffering as the result of human freedom and choice. But other suffering is so great and so unfair and so terrible...
When God spoke yet again to Jacob, telling him to go to Bethel and worship there, Jacob responded promptly and obediently. What's more, he told his family to get rid of their "pagan...
I want to spend another day reflecting on Esau's simple statement, "I have plenty." Since most of us struggle with an unquenchable desire for more "stuff," I wonder how we can get to...
I'm struck by Esau's statement: "I have plenty," or as the ESV puts it, "I have enough." No doubt there's literal truth in this statement. Esau doesn't need more "stuff." And perhaps Esau doesn't...
What an extraordinary story! After Jacob had done everything he could to prepare for his meeting with Esau, a "man" appeared in the wilderness and wrestled with Jacob for a whole night. It turned...
As Jacob headed homeward to face his estranged brother, Esau, he was understandably worried. Esau had, after all, promised to kill him...
As Jacob and his wives were preparing to sneak away from their father, Laban, Rachel took her father's household idols. These statues were common in Ancient Near Eastern homes and were believed to...
God called Abraham, not only to bless him and his family, but also so that all families of the earth might be...
Jacob's family was in a mess. First, one of his wives pleads with him to become pregnant, and he becomes furious with her. Then she offers her servant to Jacob as another wife...
