The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) can be quite convicting, but sometimes we don’t get the full impact of what Jesus is telling us.  Christ is motivating us to use All of our resources, physical, spiritual, intellectual for the betterment of the church, our fellow believers.  It is the primary vehicle for us to … More Discipleship: Gifts and talents

Alone?  Never!  Not if you have put your trust in Christ as your Lord and savior.  When my military men’s Bible study fellowship was doing a study of the Holy Spirit (a great study, by the way), I made the remark that I had always considered the Holy Spirit as my “best friend”.  And that … More Who is your best friend?

You know them.  People with antagonistic comments, prickly attitudes, spoiling for a fight.  Curmudgeons.   Or, simply the thoughtless and self-consumed.  Some of your friends perhaps, work partners, relatives.  Perhaps even you and I (for periods of time at least), lovable folk that we usually are!  EGR or Extra Grace Required folk, as my Baptist … More Extra Grace Required (EGR) people

I transitioned into adulthood during the turbulent Vietnam era when many had mixed feelings regarding the military.  So the term “military friendly” took on some personal significance for those of us in military service, who may have had some conflicting views on military service ourselves… especially with regard to whether it was truly possible to … More Was Jesus “military friendly”?

My blog is produced using WordPress software.  One neat feature it has is that it can show the country of origin (but not the name or specific location) of people who check out my blog, and unless someone chooses to “follow” my blog, I never have any other clues as to their identity.  The power … More Someone in Communist China likes my blog

Things don’t always work out the way We had hoped or planned.  A desired promotion, or new job, or outreach, or new initiative doesn’t pan out.  Friends disappoint and withhold encouragement or don’t follow through.  The result is sadness, discouragement, possibly anger, de-motivation, frustration, depression…  A whole host of negative emotions.  At the root of it … More Dealing with frustration

In the often dangerous world of Navy Aviation we had a mantra that was drilled into us from basic officer flight training: “Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance”.  Our 3 and 4 hour preflight for what was often a 10 hour flight in the maritime patrol community often demonstrated the wisdom of that axiom.  When the … More Leadership: Prior planning prevents poor performance

Military who travel or who are deployed, corporate “road warriors” who spend most of their work week out of town, and similar people are especially challenging to keep connected with.  It requires purposeful prioritization and mindfulness by both parties, and it is sometimes difficult, but well worth the effort.  I recall some of my most … More Keeping in touch

Ecumenical, friendly, Christian, and committed to Christ as our Lord and savior.  Retired mostly Navy officer and senior enlisted Bible Study fellowship meeting in various Fleming Island homes on a rotating basis. Some men travel from I-10 or across the river to join us.  We have several denominations represented: Presbyterian, Baptist, Episcopal, Catholic, non-denominational.   … More Retired Military Bible Study Fellowship

There’s a bit of the perfectionist in me.  Maybe it stems from insecurity or a desire to please people, or maybe I really do have a touch of OCD which I often joke about having.  Not that I Am perfect by any stretch of the imagination.  (Ask my wife and children!).  Sometimes that perfectionist attitude … More Perfection