Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
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What is the significance of a moment? Not much we may think, but what about that moment when Jesus rose from the grave? This moment is more significant than we can imagine when we put the resurrection moment in the framework of his life story. We have a window on the moments and days of Jesus’ life. We read about moments such as these: the glorious moment Jesus was born; his time with family and the home; the moment he was baptized; the moments when he was led into the w...
Easter is my favorite time of year. From a Christian perspective, Easter is the celebration of the Resurrection Day, when Jesus rose from the grave. So how does Jesus’ birth, death on the cross, and resurrection interrelate? Christ came to Earth, born as a baby so he could live among us so we could know him. Christ’s death on the cross was the substitutional death for all the sins of mankind. Then because Jesus rose from the grave, Christ is the first fruits of the res...
Big differences exist between intellectual knowledge and wisdom. We may be intellectually advanced and have a myriad of information but the difference in having intellectual knowledge and having wisdom is vast. I may be wise in some ways today, but that I was not so years ago and experience has played a part in that. And wouldn’t it be a great help if we all knew 20 years ago what we know today? Let me explain. Once I placed bids on some old lunch boxes that were on eBay. T...
I read an article on how being a minimalist can add lasting satisfaction to one’s life. The author claimed that being a minimalist is keeping those possessions most dear to us and then eliminating those that distract us. With this freedom, the author claimed, people can grow as individuals and discover their purpose in life. After reading the article, I decided I was not a minimalist. In theory, being a minimalist means that one gets rid of all the clutter in all areas of l...
I so treasure the wonderful quotes from Corrie ten Boom. She was a member of a family of Dutch watchmakers. As a Christian, she and her father and sisters helped hide many Jews in their home and helped them then escape from the throws of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II. Her actions led her to being confined in a Nazi prison camp, where her sister died. Yet Corrie lived to walk out. One of ten Boom’s best quotes is about seeing when one can’t really see; that is hav...
Do you ever think about what you will be known for when you are gone? How will you be remembered because of the mark that you leave on this world? Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you would not be forgotten as soon as you are dead, either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” I believe Franklin summed up the definition of life legacy pretty well. When we think about certain people, great causes, phrases or remembrances seem to correspond to their leg...
Have you ever had a paradigm shift in your thinking? A paradigm shift happens when a person changes his or her mind or way of thinking about something. A new way of thinking then replaces the old way. Here is an example: Not long after Charlie and I married, we went looking for a car. Charlie grew up thinking that Fords were the only cars to buy. His dad had always bought Fords and his grandfather had always bought Fords. But I grew up thinking, from my Daddy, that you...
I have been considering the word “promise” this past week. The word promise has two meanings. First, promise means to declare to do or keep from doing something specified. Second, a promise is an acknowledgment that gives the person to whom the promise is made the right to expect the result of that promise. We promise all the time in our lives. When our children were growing up, I would correct them on a certain issue and inevitably they would respond with “I promise Mom,...
Several years ago on a trip, my family and I boarded the largest inland river boat in the United States, the Branson Bell. On that hot day in July, we were scheduled to have lunch on the riverboat and then go on to explore the ship and enjoy the ride on the beautiful Mississippi. After lunch, we walked up to the third-story deck and watched the powerful giant paddle wheels as they propelled the huge mass of folks and cargo with seeming ease. Standing on the third deck with...
What has happened to virtue these days? Once I had an appointment at a doctor’s office and arrived to a full waiting room. All but one of the 10 chairs in the waiting room was taken. After signing in at the desk, I turned, spotted the vacant chair and settled in for the wait. Next to me sat a tall lanky young man about 15 or 16 years old. He was by far the youngest patient in the room. Stretched out in the chair, he crossed his long legs foot on top of foot. His angular p...
I am certainly no presidential historian or even a history expert for that matter. You may not be either. However, I cannot remember such venom in a presidential campaign and election as we have seen in this last one. Even families have experienced this frustration. After Thanksgiving, I heard about a family that was going to get together on the Thanksgiving holiday but the rule was: No talking politics. Everyone was so tense and knew that if either candidate was mentioned,...
What does it mean to hold on to hope? On one level, we hope that we can make our flight on time. We hope that we can meet that deadline our supervisor at work established. We hope that when we get on the scales, we will be down a few pounds. We hope that maybe next year, the boss will decide to give everyone a raise. We hope we can pay next month’s bills. On a deeper level, we hope that our granddaughter will make the drive home safely from college. We hope our sister will c...
Psalm 23 is one of the most loved Bible passages of all times. My mother thought the 23rd Psalm so important that she introduced my sister and me to that chapter at an early age. On those long rides through the Missouri hills when our family would commute to country churches where Daddy was to preach, Mother explained to us the 23rd Psalm. She painted a mental picture for us of Jesus the Good Shepherd looking after his sheep. All the while we were staring out the window at...
I found an interesting news article about the New Year’s resolutions of extremely successful people. Even though I didn’t recognize anyone interviewed, the subject matter raised my curiosity because these people were considered successful. The interviewer asked each person to name a resolution or personal areas of focus for the coming year. The results surprised me. One person wanted to do more repurposing, like furniture clothes and such. Another executive wanted to “di...
Billy Graham, the famous Christian evangelist, once said: “The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.” I would say that my encounter with some special friends is the best example of Billy Graham’s words. It was about a week before Christmas, and I had the opportunity to visit with a group of friends, all seniors, ranging in age from 75 t...
Several years ago I visited a birthing center in a huge metropolitan city. It was a popular place and women expecting babies put their names on a list months in advance to take advantage of the trendsetting facility. With the appearance of an upscale hotel rather than a hospital, the facility had individual waiting areas and birthing rooms designed with certain elegance. Sitting areas with plush chairs were in each room so family members could relax and visit while they...
Most people, at least in our part of America, know the Christmas story well. We were introduced to it in Sunday school or when the patriarch of the family on Christmas Eve read Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus. All the details are familiar: Mary riding the donkey with Joseph leading the way to Bethlehem, no room in the inn, the birth of Jesus, the shepherds on the hillside, the star in the sky and the arrival of the wise men. Yet when all the sequence of events are l...
Many people designate the Christmas season as the greatest time of the year. Years ago, singer Andy Williams recorded a song about this season titled “ It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The lines of the song describe Christmas activities: jingling bells, Christmas parties, toasting marshmallows, caroling in the snow, mistletoe and hearts full of Christmas cheer. All those activities mentioned in the song are exhilarating, pleasurable and joyous. With all of these...
The account of the birth of Christ just may be more endearing to mothers. We can identify with Mary because we understand her feelings. We no doubt think of her as a trooper. What other mother would put up with riding a donkey all the way, while probably in labor, settling in a calf stall and having a baby under those circumstances? Then when the baby Jesus was born, she wrapped him in "swaddling clothes" and laid baby Jesus in a manger. The scriptures reveal that shepherds...
Last week, this column focused on men in the Bible who were thankful. So this week, let us focus on women of the Bible who were thankful. Their stories give us encouragement because we can see God in their lives and recognize him as the author of all blessings. The accounts of their lives are examples to us that God works out the biggest events and the smallest details of our lives. • Eve was no doubt thankful when she had another child after her son Abel had been murdered by...
Last week, this column focused on men in the Bible who were thankful. So this week, let us focus on women of the Bible who were thankful. Their stories give us encouragement because we can see God in their lives and recognize him as the author of all blessings. The accounts of their lives are examples to us that God works out the biggest events and the smallest details of our lives. • Eve was no doubt thankful when she had another child after her son Abel had been murdered b... Full story
Last week, this column focused on men in the Bible who were thankful. So this week, let us focus on women of the Bible who were thankful. Their stories give us encouragement because we can see God in their lives and recognize him as the author of all blessings. The accounts of their lives are examples to us that God works out the biggest events and the smallest details of our lives. • Eve was no doubt thankful when she had another child after her son Abel had been murdered b...
Religion columnist It is Thanksgiving time. Even though we as a family have faced the most difficult time in our lives in recent weeks, we are determined to see God’s blessings even in the midst of our sorrow. Over these last days, I have found that even in sadness, God meets me at my need and still He gives me reasons to be thankful. When I am overwhelmed with sadness, I: “Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face continually.” (Psalm 105:4). Recognizing our bless...
Religion columnist A piece of my heart is now in heaven. We lost our only son, John Scott, three weeks ago. He passed away waiting for a donor heart for a heart transplant. Dana, Charlie and I were privileged to be at his side when John Scott went to be with the Lord. We can’t even put into words how heartbroken we are but we still say, “I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” (Habakkuk 3:18) In spite of our pain and heartbreak, we will yet prais... Full story
Religion columnist I heard a wonderful true story last week that personifies for each of us the words in Romans 8:15: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The young parents were nervous. They climbed out of the car and the dad unhooked the car seat with the sleeping infant inside. Behind the couple came the young man’s...
