Laodicea would have been classified as “red” city if it were around today. The city was a prosperous financial and trade center. It was known for its fine linens. It had a great medical school. It was a city of beauty, and the arts flourished there. In 60 A.D. an earthquake leveled the city. The citizens refused any assistance from the Roman government and rebuilt the city solely with their own funds. Laodicea would certainly make the top ten list of the most desirable places to live and raise a family. After all, a place like Laodicea provided the opportunity for children to become involved in higher education, sports, the arts and community service. Laodicea also had a church. The […]
Monthly Archives: October 2016
16 posts
You give your wife flowers and say you love her, but she remains distant. You apologize to your teenager for being angry and tell him you love him, but the barriers are still up. You give your middle-schooler an expensive birthday present with a note that says “I love you”, yet her smile is only half-hearted. Is the answer more flowers, a bigger and better present, a more sincere apology? Probably not. However, there is one thing you can do that will demonstrate the genuineness of your love. You can listen well. When there is an argument it is all too easy to think you know what the other person is thinking even before the first word is spoken. The […]
Hurricane Matthew is going to Florida. Millions are evacuating their homes as Hurricane Matthew, predicted to be a category 4 at landfall, advances towards the Florida east coast. The storm is forecast to bring damaging winds and a devastating surge of water all along the Florida, Georgia and South Carolina coasts. Millions more will lose power for days and possibly much longer. Human lives are at stake. Matthew will not be ignored. The President has urged people to take whatever steps are necessary to protect themselves. The governors of Florida and South Carolina have declared a state of emergency and have taken aggressive measures to prepare for Matthew. All of this is good and necessary. But no government leader, so […]
Here are three questions you should ask yourself about your communication with those you love. The way you answer these questions provides insight into the areas where your conversations must grow in depth and in maturity. First question: Do your spouse and your children have confidence that they will be able to say all that is on their heart without fear of your response? Is your family accustomed to being cut off or being corrected before they can finish speaking? Do you interrupt because you think you know what is coming? If this is your pattern you are building relational barriers that are difficult to overcome. Those closest to you need to be able to express what is on their […]
This morning, millions along the southeastern coast of the United States are asking this question, “Where will Matthew go?” Matthew is, of course, the Category 4 Hurricane currently devastating portions of Haiti and Cuba. Even as watches have been posted for the Florida east coast, the question remains — is the path of this storm random, totally subject to shifting patterns of low and high pressure? Are we watching nature roll the dice in a deadly game of chance? This is the view expressed if you watch the unfolding drama displayed on the 24/7 news cycle. Yes, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) provides sophisticated forecasts, but if you listen carefully, sophisticated forecasts means sophisticated guesswork. This is not to fault […]
Living for your children will ruin your life and theirs. If your hopes and dreams are bound to your children, you will be disappointed, perhaps even bitter. If you expect your children to provide the comfort and support that can only come from God you will be deeply hurt. You will set yourself up to be disappointed and crushed when your family fails you. No spouse, no child can provide comfort that can only be found in God. God will have no other gods before him. Your first loyalty must be to God and God alone. Children who have become the sole objects of their parents’ dreams and aspirations cannot bear that awful weight. This unbalanced child focus is actually […]