Monthly Archives: February 2026

Sadly Common

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It is common for Teri and me to be going somewhere and notice someone with erratic driving behavior, seemingly unable to keep the vehicle between the lines. It especially does make us uncomfortable if they happen to be in the lane beside us. Almost always, when Teri gets to look, the driver of the other car is focused on their phone. How insane is that? The driver is legally responsible for any harm or damage to others that they might cause with the 2,000 pounds (plus) of plastic and metal they are driving. Yet they are giving their attention to an inanimate object that weighs less than a pound. 

Don’t we often see a parallel absurdity in professing Christian families? Dad has responsibilities before the Lord with eternal consequences in how he leads the family and disciples the children in Christ. “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Yet he spends his time on things of no eternal value.

Dad can’t save his children, but is he truly attentive to the priceless value of his children’s souls? Is his example and leadership consistent with their value? Dad’s time spent in pursuit of sports and worldly media might be similar to a driver being distracted by a dumb phone. 

“That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:” (Psalms 78:6-7).

Apology

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I apologize for leaving you “hanging” last week. I totally missed that I had not given a clear resolution concerning my ER trip. Bless so many of you who were so kind in expressing concern. You don’t realize how much I love you dads. You are in the trenches, and the deep desire of my heart is to encourage you in God’s calling for you in any way that I can. 

So last week, after twelve hours of AFIB that I have about once a month for only 15 or 20 minutes, it settled into a pulse of 150 for two hours. We finally went to the hospital ER where my cardiologist is. I’m sure if I had been in pain during that two hours, there would have been a greater motivation to go to the ER. In the ER waiting room, there were what appeared to be about 100+ deathly-looking people (flu season) waiting. Just then, a man slowly walked up to the counter, and I heard him ask, “Ma’am, how much longer? I’ve been waiting for 3 hours.” God used him to make it clear that it was not a place I wanted to stay. We left and went to Advent Health ER. I walked in and was immediately moved to their Triage. 

After an EKG, plus vitals, and blood work, they started an IV with “stuff” which began to slowly bring the heart rate down. So after four plus hours, my pulse was finally down from 150 and back to normal. 

We still don’t really know what caused it, so it will be difficult to prevent it. However, we did learn where to go when in need of an ER. Overall, I love, love, love my relationship with Jesus Christ and have no fear of dying. I want to be responsible (a good steward) of this body as long as He has me here. 

My brothers, I pray that each of you know Him and are in fellowship with Him. Trust Him and live for Him. Take care of your health. Eat right and be fit.

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Pain

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Is it good or bad? Yes. It can be either. Doesn’t it depend on how it is viewed? If it is your pain, it generally is viewed as bad, and we want it to stop. However pain often is a signal that something is wrong and needs immediate attention. Yet, a condition may be serious with great potential consequences needing attention, without pain.Last week was my first trip to the ER in all of my seventy-four years. I had no pain and was slow to do something about a bad situation. My heart rate had risen to 150 bpm with no exertion, just sitting in my chair. It had been that way for two hours. My mind and sweet wife knew it wasn’t a good thing, yet I was reluctant to go to the ER. “It should stop soon” I reasoned. Finally, I called my cardiologist’s nurse who said, “Go to ER right now!” Okay, I got it. 

Sadly, a similar scenario is played out in families. Maybe, a child’s attitude shows hints of rebellion, or there is disrespect or mocking of things of the Lord, or they are drawn to unhealthy friends or media that is against your counsel. 

I plead with you, don’t wait until horrible pain sets in, act upon the warning signs. May we be like the wise man who built his family upon the rock of God’s Word and lived it. May we not be like the foolish man who lost his home. 

“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:24-29).

May Not Be Popular

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In the first epistle to Timothy, Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, wrote concerning the ways that women were foolishly wasting their time. Today, if he was writing, might he say that enemy was the smart phone, social media, the internet, and computers? “But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Timothy 5:11-14). That was specifically addressed to young widows, but the actions Paul denounces would seem to be wrong for any woman of any age, in any tepoch of history. Plus Paul gives the better way for a woman to invest her time – bearing children and guiding the house. God has gifted women for this critical role of eternal consequence. 

May I ask: Does this describe you? Have you cast off your first priority? Do you find time for your phone, social media, You Tube videos (just for education, of course!) but are lacking in  personal Bible reading and prayer each day? This is easy to test. You know how much time you spend reading your Bible a day, and your devices track how much time you spend on them. How do they compare? Twice as much in the Word? Half as much? None? 

These young widows had another problem. They had learned to be idle because they had time to go to other people’s homes to sit around talking and gossiping. Today, we don’t have to leave our homes to do this. It is in the palm of our hands with our phones. But we can do the exact thing and often do. We justify it by saying: it won’t take long, we need to decompress and that helps us (where best should we turn for that?), we think about how we give and give and give and just need a bit of time for ourselves (how many times did you pick up your phone and hang out on it?).

The time on the phone/social media/internet often steals time that is needed to “guide the house.” Guiding the house would involve household duties like meal planning, prep and clean up, grocery shopping and errands, cleaning, laundry, and gardening. For homeschoolers, it would include homeschooling. Are you keeping up there or behind?

Have you been having a conversation with someone and hear a little noise on their phone or just see them glance down? What usually happens? Do they disengage from the conversation for a moment, acting as if they aren’t, but you can tell they aren’t with you as they look at their phone? How often do you do that to your children? They see it. Don’t you want to be fully present in their lives when they are communicating with you? What kind of example do you want to set for them?

Sisters, I plead with you: guard your first priority. Don’t spend time on your phone, if you aren’t spending time in the Word and in prayer! Your time and attention is also precious to your family. Don’t rob your family of your time and attention on them by what you do on your phone or by letting its notifications interrupt (silence them)! Don’t deprive your family of an organized home with healthy meals because you want to do what you want to do on your phone. That phone/social media/internet is not your first love. Jesus Christ is to have that place and behind Him comes your family. For you to keep that the reality of your life, you have to stand against the tide of life as it is happening in 2026, just like those young widows had to stand against the tide of their lives when I Timothy was written.

Good Idea

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The reasons to purchase the trees sounded good: fast growth, good shade, and relatively inexpensive, and they all proved to be true. However, what wasn’t discussed was the fruit they produced. Over the years those fast-growing trees yielded VAST amounts of sweet gum balls, walnut-sized seeds covered with prickly spikes. Once fallen and dried on the ground, pity the poor barefoot person, or child who slipped and fell on them. 

Most people don’t make bad decisions on purpose. They have good reasons for their choices. However, considering the resulting fruit of a decision is so wise. Many parents wanting happy, quiet children (“good reasons”) then reap horrible fruit in the coming years. Then, the children are addicted to being entertained with movies, video games, bad friends or evil books (such as Henry P). Dads and moms tired after a full day, might want to watch a movie, or just relax instead of time with the children and family Bible time.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.  Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).

Poor decisions are not going to produce good fruit in lives (unless maybe to learn never to do that again). Oh, my Brothers, always consider the longterm fruit of each decision, will it edify and draw one closer to the Lord or the world?