“At Woodberry, we teach boys to take time to reflect on the wonders of life.”
‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds?’ (Deuteronomy 3:24)
What wonders of life are you noticing around you each day?
Late yesterday afternoon, I discovered a voice message from Peggy Walker, one of my neighbors, inviting me to go to My Fair Lady at Woodberry Forest School. Peggy …

“If you think you CAN or you think you CAN’T, you’re right.”
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)
What wrong thinking plagues you?
What can you do to change that?
In yesterdays’ devotional, I talked about Jesus’ 3 R’s for Valentines’ Day. One of those was repent of your wrong attitudes. On Feb 13, I received this email from Pastor Gregory Dickow about a fast from wrong thinking:
Dear Friend,
If you’ll stay with me for the next 40 days, there is no limit to what great things can happen …

“From ashes you came and to ashes you will return.”
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.” (Matthew 11:21)
How will you prepare to make this year’s Easter celebration the best ever?
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. In the Catholic Church, when the ashes are put on a person’s forehead in the shape of a cross, the priest says “from ashes you …

Learning to discern the voice of the Lord is like a baby learning to speak English.
The voice of the LORD is powerful, the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. (Psalm 29:4)
Is God talking to me?
Do I hear the Lord speaking to me?
How do I learn to tune into W-GOD?
When a strange but good thought passes through my mind, how do I know if it comes from God?
I apologize for my error in yesterday’s devotional concerning the start time for the community Thanksgiving service in Culpeper on Tuesday …

Most true happiness comes from one’s inner life, from the disposition of the mind and soul. Admittedly, a good inner life is difficult to achieve, especially in these trying times. It takes reflection and contemplation and self-discipline. – William L Shirer
Blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1a-2)
How important is it to “meditate” on God’s Word day and night?
How much time do I spend reflecting each day? Each week?
What can I do to increase …

“Most of us live unexamined lives.” – Gordon McDonald
I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works. (Psalm 145:5)
What daily habit can I start to guarantee I will slow down and hear God?
To me, “busy” is a bad four letter word. Yesterday, I shared how the Holy Spirit led me to Track #11 of CD #2 of Bill Hybel’s book “Too Busy Not to Pray” and how I applied the 3 steps to reduce my rpm’s the next morning. The following in an excerpt …

No one ever plans to fail, but many fail to plan.
“Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.” (Revelations 3:3)
What can I do TODAY to prevent fires, rather than rushing around to put them out?
A recent letter I received from the Pentagon Federal Credit Union states, “No one ever plans to fail, but many fail to plan.” Because I have a heart to serve, I easily fall into the trap of allowing other people’s “emergencies” to pull me into the tyranny of the urgent. But it’s …

It is impossible to love others unless you love yourself.
“And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” (Matthew 22:39)
What daily choices do you make that show you love yourself?
My life slogan is “Blessed to be a blessing.” My life verse is the Greatest Commandment in which Jesus instructs us to love God with all our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Jesus said “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:40)
When I love God with all my …

“You are responsible forever for what you have tamed.” – Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s …

Journaling unlocks a door to self-awareness and meaningful reflection.
But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. (Luke 11:17)
In what ways does your life feel out of control?
What concrete steps can you take to change that?
Yesterday I arrived back in Culpeper after an 11 day trip to Israel and Jordan. The highlight for my day was seeing my wife again. I thought about Dorothy clicking her heels in the Wizard of Oz and saying …