[Ones who] measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves are not wise. 1 Corinthians 10:12 The other day I made the mistake of reading one of the countless online church growth articles that seem to appear in my inbox daily. I’m not sure what caught my eye, but the click-bait headline was something like, “Grow Your Church NOW!” or some such thing. The article was no doubt written by some tech savvy, mega-church hipster pastor who wears skinny…
On Monday we took my father-in-law to Sight and Sound Theater to see their current stage production, Esther. We don’t get to Sight and Sound too often, but every time we go, we are amazed by the elaborate costuming, magnificent music, and the huge technological advances that transform the sets on that immense 300-foot wrap around stage into another world. The show was dad’s Christmas gift… last Christmas. With the COVID shutdown, our original ticket dates were canceled and Sight and…
The previous owners of our house were meticulous gardeners. Either that or they paid a lot of money for a professional landscaper to maintain the lawn and shrubs. When we moved in, the front lawn was impeccable- not a blade of grass was out of place, not a weed in sight. And the plantings and mulch were equally immaculate. This summer, I’ve been doing my best to maintain things. But after six months of effort, the grass doesn’t seem quite…
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua…
So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua…
This past weekend, the whole Benedict clan was MIA. We all took advantage of the extended holiday weekend to converge on Washington DC to help move Josh and Alaina from their rental apartment into their first home. We weren’t alone in playing hooky, though; we joined approximately 34.4 million other Americans who took to the roads for holiday travel. People took to the skies, too. Air travel was at its highest level since March 17, six days after the pandemic…
This past Monday, Pam and I took the dog for a walk right at dusk. We headed down Cedar Avenue and up Edgewood Drive on a familiar loop. It was a very pleasant evening as the sounds of late summer filled our ears. Chloe loves this route and practically walked herself. There are two Bethany families in our immediate neighborhood, and this route takes us directly by both their houses. We are always a little more attentive (curious, not nosey!)…
by Pam Benedict The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech and night after night, they display knowledge. Psalm 19:1 Ever since Justin was a little boy, he has been fascinated with everything pertaining to space. As a toddler he excitedly pointed to the sky and exclaimed, “Mommy! Moon see!” As a preschooler, he declared he was going to be an astronaut someday. His enthusiasm was contagious,…
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one. Matthew 5:37 I’m getting cynical. I’m trying not to, but it’s hard. I think we all are. Here we are in the midst of a world-wide pandemic and it feels like every decision, every directive, every decree is shaded by agendas and driven by ideology. Everyone has an angle they’re working, an advantage they’re trying to gain or a cause they’re trying to…
A great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. 1 Corinthians 16:9 Have you ever had a day that just doesn’t go right… at all? You just feel “off.” Normal tasks seemed to take forever, nothing comes easy and Murphy’s law rules the day: “Everything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” It feels like the whole world is set against you. I have them from time to time… I struggle to…