Monday, November 2, 2026

Christian Stewardship At The Polls

Christians in the United States have a terrific blessing: we can vote in our elections and play a role in the process of government. Oh sure, I know you might say that our vote only plays a “small role,” I understand, but hey, we get a vote! A lot of people in our world do not have that privilege. Our riStght to vote has significance and value and, therefore, some responsibility.

When Christians talk about biblical principles to help inform voting, some verses from Romans chapter 13 are often cited.

1. We see, from Romans 13, vs. 3, that government authorities—when they are acting properly, according to God’s purposes—are intended to encourage what is right. “…Do what is right, and they [the authorities] will honor you.”

2. Authorities—when they are acting properly—are also supposed to punish wrongdoing. From vs. 4, “They [those in authority] are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.”

3. Government authorities—when they are acting properly—are also supposed to be promoting the greater good. From vs. 4, “The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good.”

I realize this is far, far short of covering all the questions and the issues, even on a surface level. But when trying to determine, as a Christian, who to vote for, or what issues are the right ones to support, here are some questions—based on the 3 biblical points mentioned above—that might be a helpful to consider:

*Which candidates are most likely to reward and honor good behavior?

*Which candidates are most likely to restrain evil and maintain law and order by punishing those who do wrong?

*Which candidates are most likely to promote the greater good?

And it goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyhow: As Christians, our understanding of good behavior; punishing what is wrong; and promoting the greater good would be informed by the truths of the Bible.

It is true that there are no perfect candidates. I suspect no one would argue with that position. But some candidates are better than others, some candidates are more likely to attempt to honor and fulfill God’s purposes for the government.

Our foremost allegiance is always to our King and His Kingdom…the only eternal Kingdom, the Kingdom that supersedes and overrules all the governments and kingdoms of this world. But our King expects us to be responsible and to be, as best as possible, good informed citizens. So, it is right for us to thoughtfully, prayerfully participate.


Friday, September 11, 2026

What We Thought We Could Never Forget

The phrase I remember hearing right after the attacks of 9/11 and then for years following the events of 9/11 is this one: Never forget.

I’ve seen and heard the phrase today. But I wonder, are we forgetting? As the years pass by, events from the past quite naturally get dimmer. Many people who are young adults today were not even alive when the attacks occurred. They do not remember the somewhat chilling potency of that day because they were not here when it happened.

And I’m concerned that some of us who were around at the time might just be failing to remember what we thought we could never forget.

Back then it seemed like an occurrence that would be absolutely impossible to forget. Ever! “Come on, no one could ever forget such a thing!”

But time is very crafty.

I know it can sound like exaggeration or an act of unnecessarily fanning the flames, but it is important to know and acknowledge the plain and simple fact that there are many people and groups who are quite serious about wanting to destroy our country.

That was true on 9/11/01, and it is still true today.

By the way, the people who want to destroy you, hope you do not believe they want to destroy you.

Being aware of the fact that people want to destroy your country is a relevant fact to keep in mind. It is part of our challenge to “never forget.”

Wednesday, August 26, 2026

In a culture where many people disagree, everyone still loves Dolly

The death of Dolly Parton has generated more posts—positive posts—on my timeline than the passing of any other celebrity in my entire time on social media. She seemed to do the impossible, it appears that she was: loved, respected, admired, appreciated and highly esteemed by just about everyone.

(This is posted on social media so I suspect there will still be a few grumpy naysayers who will offer their disagreement, however…)

In a culture in which common ground is lamentably uncommon and where there is disagreement on even the most basic and fundamental things, the love of Dolly is very rare. And it is quite lovely.

I know that she professed faith in Jesus, so, I hope I have the chance to talk with her about it one day.

 



Wednesday, July 8, 2026

The highly recommended snorkeling spot...wait?!? Is this it?


 

Let's go: Tropical beach trip in 58 seconds


 

The beautiful terror of God's holiness


 

Celebrating 250 years of liberty: the words that started it all


 

This garden in Naples, FL, feels like you're somewhere else far away


 

Nadia just keeps reeling 'em in


 

I know it's a cliche but it's still true: God's grace is amazing!


 

What the Lord passed on to Paul -- Full message


 

Sunday, May 31, 2026

The Yeb-Mobile

The first car I drove, when I got my much-coveted driver’s license, was an Oldsmobile Delmont 88. I believe the year of the car was 1967 (don’t remember for sure). I began driving it in the summer of 1974.


Sometimes people will try to correct me and say, “Dan, don’t you mean Delta 88?”


And the answer is, “No, the model was the lesser-known Delmont 88.”


My older brother, Cam, and I shared this car. But since we hung out together a lot and had the same group of friends, that didn’t really create any problems.


The car you see in the photo (which I found online) is a 1967 Oldsmobile Delmont 88.


When my dad originally bought the car it was dark, like the car in the photo. For some reason, I even remember what Oldsmobile called the color. It was Midnight Blue. Sounds exotic, huh? It almost looked black but it was actually a very dark shade of blue.


When my brother began driving the car, a year before me, he took the car to a place called Earl Scheib. This was a company whose niche in the market was low-priced car painting (with a strong emphasis on the “low-priced” aspect). An Earl Scheib paint job didn’t cost all that much…but it didn’t look all that good, either. A little bit of paint on the car windows was part of the “Earl Scheib” charm.


Cam—in a stroke of pure genius—had the car painted a very bright, almost fluorescent, yellow color.


So…imagine the car you see in the photo, but in a very bright yellow.


It was easy to find in a parking lot.


Cam’s nickname—for reasons that cannot be divulged due to national security purposes—was “Yeb.” So the bright yellow Oldsmobile Delmont 88 was christened: “The Yeb-Mobile.”


We had many, many fun adventures in the Yeb-Mobile. I would detail some of those adventures, here, but once again “national security” comes into play. 


And frankly, all of those adventures were enjoyed by people who are now respectable, senior-ish adults…so “mum’s the word.”


Friday, February 13, 2026

I Wasn't Expecting A Baptism In The ICU

I was standing up to leave a hospital room this evening and, as I was preparing to exit, the person I was visiting attempted to communicate with me. The family of the person uses a small white board to allow the person to communicate. He is completely cognizant, mentally.

So, the person began to slowly spell a word. First the letter “B,” then the letter “A,” then the letter “P…”

I looked at him and said, “baptize?”

He nodded, “Yes.”

I said, “Do you want to be baptized right now?”

Another nod, “Yes.”

This person will not, physically, be able to get to a baptism tank or even a large tub. (My church practices full immersion baptism.) But I believe God recognizes a willing and obedient heart.

So, there in the hospital—with a cup of water and a couple of family members present—a public proclamation of faith in the saving work of Jesus was affirmed. And we had a small, quiet—but very meaningful—baptism service.

Every now and then I am humbled and surprised at the interesting ways that Jesus works. He was with us in an ICU hospital room tonight. It was unexpected and deeply moving.

May Jesus be glorified!