A Life with Friends I am very fortunate to be rich in friends, close friends….my wife and family of course, my business partner, small group brothers and others who have come into my life. Because we are true friends, they can tell me when they think I’m wrong or they can correct some error in my thinking, but even more important that that, their main concern is to move me closer to God, where He can address any issue or …
Category: Interpersonal Relations
Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ… Ephesians 4:15 Truth and love truly go hand in hand. It seems love was made for truth and truth for love. This is especially true in relationships and in these politically charged times. I can have the most powerful truth in the world, but if I don’t express it in love, it will likely land with a thud…and …
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 My daughter and I went to Texas recently to visit my sweet sister who is valiantly and gracefully dealing with cancer. Because her immune system is weak, the doctor suggested she and her husband move to a more secluded place away from the college campus of Baylor. So, they are now living with dear, sweet, loving friends they have known since the mid-1980s. …
I went to a counselor once who, more or less, told me I had a case of “excessive striving”. Not surprisingly, I was oblivious to what she was saying. But as I looked at my life, I realized I lived my day-to-day existence nearly always pushing, prompting, nudging, urging, cajoling, nagging or convincing people to respond or act the way I thought was best for them. People experienced my excessive striving by frequent voicemails, email reminders, hints of “hey you owe me …
I visited with a friend at his office one sunny day several months ago. When I walked into his office on the 17th floor I saw a magnificent view of the rolling hills of north Georgia. The sea of green, the landscape, the wide horizon and the tall Georgia pines were all before me…it was a stunning view. I asked him how far we could see that clear day and he said, “oh, maybe 25 miles or so”…..wow. My …
Have you ever been driving down the road and all of a sudden noticed a wild driver coming up really fast behind you? If you’re like most people, your attention is suddenly divided between looking forward….to where you’re headed….and looking in your rear view mirror…at the erratic driver behind you. :/ Similarly, when trust is missing in a relationship we tend to spend an inordinate amount of time and energy looking over our shoulder to see if the person in …
Recently, a group of us from the Atlanta suburbs went downtown to volunteer with an inner city ministry called Atlanta Dream Center. After an hour or so putting together food bags and getting prepared, we jumped in our car and followed three youth leaders at Dream Center to our destination….a housing project of largely poor families. As we drove in, we were face-to-face with another culture….all seemed dark, empty and a bit unsafe. Up came a large, extra loud …