For the boy “Growing Up on Dump Ground Road,” every day was filled with new adventures. Sure, there was the daily routine of getting up, cleaning up, dressing up and going to school. Yet, from that point on the day was filled with opportunities to learn and grow. He was blessed with good teachers, loving family members and caring friends. His Aunt Evelyn drove him, his siblings and his cousins to school. Her black and white Chevy Impala was the “Muston School Bus.” As they

A few weeks ago, we looked at Jesus’ compassionate concern for the multitudes, “because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd” (Mt. 9:36). Jesus was deeply concerned because of the lack of leadership among the Jewish people. He told His disciples to “pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.” Even though there were priests, scribes and Pharisees among them, they were not doing the work assigned to them by God, of teaching and

Today is “Martin Luther King, Jr. Day” in the United States. It commemorates the life and work of Dr. King, who was a Baptist minister and prominent leader in the civil rights movement. We are encouraged to use this day to reflect on the principles of racial equality and non-violent social change, which Dr. King encouraged. He dreamed of a day when his children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” I also share that dream!

One of the key leadership positions in the church, both in New Testament times and today, is the office of Deacon. The biblical model for this position is found in Acts 6, when the early church was experiencing much growth and the Apostles were struggling to deal with administering to the daily needs of the people. The Apostles summoned the people together and issued a call for them to select “seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appo

It is the first Monday of the New Year. I started my day with a trip to the gym, reading my Bible and praying. My plan is to continue this pattern in order to strengthen myself in body and spirit for the year ahead. My wife and I were members of the YMCA for about 20 years. We continued to pay our dues through the COVID shutdown, but were hesitant to return, once it reopened. We finally cancelled our membership last year. Thus, I’m dealing with post-COVID flab. We rejoined