Just A Closer Walk

I will lend you, for a little time, A child of mine, He said. For you to love the while he lives, And mourn for when he's dead. It may be six or seven years, Or twenty-two or three. But will you, till I call him back, Take care of him for Me? He'll bring his charms to gladden you, And should his stay be brief. You'll have his lovely memories, As solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, Since all from earth return. But there are lessons taught down there, I want this child to learn....

My father died some years ago of cancer. I remember seeing him a couple of days before he died. He was very tired and weak. On the way home I called on a friend. He asked me how my father was. I started to speak, but couldn't. I broke down and sobbed uncontrollably for some time. I was losing my father. I hope what follows will be of some help and comfort to you. Everyone Is Important Everyone is important but our family and friends are especially so because we know them and love them. They ar...

Your spouse's heart will open only when it feels safe. But what does feeling safe really mean? The best approach to foster intimacy and deep connection after an argument is to focus time, attention and energy on creating rela tional space that feels safe. When your spouse feels safe, he is naturally inclined to relax and open his heart. In this peaceful state, openness simply happens. You don’t have to force intimacy or do things to create connection when you fe...

One of the most interesting parts of the world that I have visited is Nagaland in north-east India. A generation or two ago, this was an area where there were still pockets of headhunters. Skulls can still be seen danglng from the doorframes of some huts. Now the Nagas are Christian; indeed due to a successful missionary endevour in the early 1900s, they are mainly Baptists. For me, at least, that is preferable to headhunters. There are over forty different tribes and villages situated among hi...

Just A Closer Walk with Thee was considered one of the favorite southern gospel hymns of the 20th Century.  However, its origins remain a mystery. The hymn is considered to be one of the most requested songs at funerals. The song gained national popularity in the 1930s, when African American churches sung it at musical conventions.  By the 1940s, the hymn was featured at all night gospel singing rallies.  The first known recording was made on October 8, 1941 by the Selah Jubilee Singers. The w...

A custom is a traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something that is specific to a particular society, place or time. A custom is an established way of doing things - it's a habitual practice and a way of life. Now there is a man in The Bible who had an interesting custom. In Daniel 6:10, the Bible says: "Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home and in his upper room with his windows open toward Jerusalem. He kneeled down on his knees three times th...

If People Can’t See What God Is Doing 1 For people who hate discipline and only get more stubborn, There’ll come a day when life tumbles in and they break, but by then it’ll be too late to help them. 2 When good people run things, everyone is glad, but when the ruler is bad, everyone groans. 3 If you love wisdom, you’ll delight your parents, but you’ll destroy their trust if you run with whores. 4 A leader of good judgment gives stability; an exploiting leader leaves a trail of waste. 5 A f...

The best proof of love is trust. —Joyce Brothers Habakkuk offers us an amazing model of a healthy, balanced response to what had to be about the worst news he could have received from God. Even as his body reacted, he realized that he had a choice about what he was going to believe. He could trust his emotions. He could trust his current view of the situation. Or he could trust that God could somehow bring good out of an inconceivable scenario—the Babylonians invading their land. In your life,...