Gifts After Christmas
For many families, Christmas becomes a multi-day marathon of celebrations, family visits, and gift exchange. Not all gifts are given on Christmas. It was many days after the birth of...
Our Final ETJ Series of 2023
What a year we have had studying the Bible together! This month we conclude our 6th year of Enjoying the Journey podcasts, and are so very grateful for the faithful...
New Bible App Plan!
'Tis the season for New Year's resolutions. This is the time when many people decide to change or add something to their life for the coming year. The fact is,...
Hymn History: Angels From the Realms of Glory
One of the most charming and beautiful Christmas carols is undoubtedly “Angels From the Realms of Glory.” This beloved carol has been published in over 700 hymnbooks! Few, however, know...
Jesus’ Last Gift by John Buckner
Enjoying the Journey has many friends in the ministry who help and encourage us along the way. John Buckner is a real student of God's Word. He has spent the last several...
Hymn History: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
We have been thrilled to share a series of brief accounts of how some of the great hymns of our faith were written. Each synopsis has been compiled through the...
Hymn History: Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Christmas season can be one of the most joyful and heartwarming times of the year. Families meet together, gifts are exchanged, the wonderful Christmas carols are sung. We as...
New Series: GOD CAME.
God Came. In many ways, these two words summarize the message of the whole Bible! They encapsulate the love and mercy of our God. We could never come to Him...
Hymn History: Silent Night
"And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." - Luke 2:8 We have been thrilled to share a series...
Hymn History: Count Your Blessings
“Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:” - Psalm...
The Star Still Shines
Did you see the star? Over the last few days there has been a great deal of talk about the rare convergence of Saturn and Jupiter in the night sky....
Reading the Christmas Story
Dad and mom made it a practice to read the Christmas story with our family each Christmas morning. As a little boy this was a serious delay in the opening...
Beyond Bethlehem
I do love Christmas. While there are so many enjoyable aspects to this time of year, we must never forget that, for a Christian, every holiday should be a holy...
12 Days of Christmas!
Go ahead and sing it - you know the words! We have always had a lot of fun singing and acting out the old Christmas classic The Twelve Days of...
An Idea for Your Christmas Cards
Have you sent out your Christmas cards yet? Through the years it has become increasingly difficult to send cards to everyone that we love and want to greet. For the...
THE NAME
There is no name like the name of our great God! The apostles said of the name of Jesus, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none...
How To Say “Thank You”
Several years ago I had the joy of speaking to a large group of children on the subject of thanksgiving. In preparation I learned how to say thank you in...
The Perfect Father
All of us who are called "dad" know that, while we want the best for our children, we do not always choose the best ourselves. There are no perfect fathers,...
The Greatest Gospel Moment In A Generation
My grandpa remembered where he was when Pearl Harbor was attacked. My dad remembers where he was when JFK was shot. I remember where I was when the planes hit...
Podcast Series For Valentine’s Week
Our world has some mixed up ideas about love! The devil and the flesh always try to pervert what is perfect. Only the God who is love can teach us...
The Greatest Challenge I Have
A few days ago, it was my great joy to untangle the many strands of Christmas lights that somehow magically weave themselves into ridiculous knots during the off season. Why...
The Miracle Continues
Around this time of year it is not uncommon to hear someone refer to "a Christmas miracle." A miracle is something that cannot be explained by natural wisdom or human...
Your Christmas Prayer List
Is your Christmas shopping list complete? Christmas card lists, grocery lists, gift lists...tis the season for written reminders! What about your Christmas prayer list? At this time of year it...
Your Favorite Christmas Song?
They have been playing in our home for nearly a month now... You know the ones! Songs of the season. Christmas carols. It seems the whole world begins to sing...
Christmas Blessings
This is my favorite season of the year! I love the time with family and friends. But the older I get the more I realize that the greatest Christmas blessings...
Thanksgiving Meditations
Through the years I have written a number of brief articles on the subject of gratitude. From time to time we all must be reminded how good God has been...
Why Everyone Needs Some Time Away
Call it a vacation, a holiday, a sabbatical...whatever you call it, at some point everyone needs it! We were made to work and God made us to rest as well....
Who Was Patrick?
People around the world celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with little thought of the man for which the day is named. In fact, much of what is associated with Patrick is...
My Wife’s Ministry
Our First Valentine’s Day, 1995 My favorite traveling companion is the one that God is allowing me to make this journey through life with. Every place is better with her....
New Growth In The New Year
Henry Longfellow was once asked how he managed a long and happy life. He pointed to an apple tree and said, "The secret of the apple tree is that it...
Make This Week A New Beginning With God!
Today we stand on the threshold of 2019. How gracious God has been to us! If the Lord allows us to live until tomorrow, we will turn another page in...
The Greatest Giver
As a boy my dad taught me that there are two types of people in the world: takers and givers. Our world is full of takers, but givers are the...
I Didn’t Expect This
When I first went into evangelism a dear friend serving in a "closed country" asked if I would ever consider having a podcast. I must confess that at the time...
Praying For Those Who Need To Come Home This Christmas!
In our last article I wrote about the geographical and circumstantial reasons that some loved ones cannot be home for Christmas. But there is another reason. Some people may even...
“I’ll Be Home For Christmas…”
"I'll be home for Christmas..." Familiar words from one of the most beloved Christmas carols. There truly is something wonderful about being home at this time of year. And yet,...
24 Reading Recommendations For The New Year
In Thomas Jefferson's Library at the Library of Congress This week a dear pastor friend and I corresponded about helpful books to share with others. As...
Announcing A Special Christmas Series!
Can you believe that it is December? The month ahead will be a busy one for families and church families. We must never allow our schedules to crowd out time...
5 Suggestions For Being A Better Witness During The Holidays
Over the next six weeks believers will have more opportunities to witness than perhaps at any other time of the year. Even secular people tend to think about spiritual things...
A Thought On This Labor Day
Men must learn to work. They must also learn to rest. The first mention of rest in Scripture is found in Genesis 2 where it is tied directly to the...
Birthday Meditations
Birthday celebrations are special, especially when you get to enjoy them with family. The older I get the more my celebrations turn to meditations. (They tell me that reflection is...
“Thank You, God, For 13 Years”
Today is my son's 13th birthday. We have had a wonderful time celebrating this week as a family. How could we have three teenagers?! I asked Grant to lead us...
A Divided Nation
The only hope of America, the only hope of any nation, is the mercy of God. In recent days we have all watched the national news and the deterioration of...
How To Make This The Greatest Summer Of Your Life
How To Make This The Greatest Summer Of Your Life Everyone looks forward to summer. Students will tell you that summer begins the moment they are out of school. For...
The Family Vacation
The European’s have long taken their “holiday,” but it is America that has institutionalized the family vacation. American’s spend an inordinate amount of money every year on elaborate trips and...
A Big Day
Tomorrow is a big day for our family. In just a few hours Lauren will turn 16 and Morgan will graduate from high school. As a dad it is both...
A Mother’s Day Meditation: “The Law Of Thy Mother”
Proverbs opens with a father speaking to his son and closes with a mother speaking to her son. Children need the influence and instruction of both dad and mom. In...
A President’s Day Prayer
Today is President's Day in the United States. In the war zone that is the American political system it is often easy to forget the spiritual conflict that is always...
A Scripture for 2018
Many of us have made definite commitments to give renewed attention to God's Word in the new year. For me, that means something different every year. I try not to...
The First Step
The first day of a new year. What will we do with it? It will never get any easier than today to take action. Never. Do you want to learn...
Will You Join Us On the Journey?
Six years ago this month I began writing on our blog. At the time God led me to call it Enjoying the Journey. (You may read more about why I chose...
The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards
Christmas and New Year are a time for family and fun. But for a believer it is a season of faith. A time to turn our eyes to Christ and...
Don’t Forget These Things On Your Christmas List!
Everyone is busy this week. Shopping. Eating. Cooking. Eating. Traveling. Eating. Wrapping. Eating. It is easy to forget the things that truly matter in the hurry and haste. Perhaps you...
Thursday’s Thought: “FOR THANKSGIVING DAY”
I must be getting more sentimental in my old age. Over the last few years I have developed a great love for poetry. In so many ways it expresses the...
Wednesday’s Thanksgiving Thought: Why I Am Grateful For What I Never Got
Families will gather around tables this week and briefly mention the many blessings for which they are grateful to God. For most of us the emphasis will be on the...
Tuesday’s Thanksgiving Thought: “God’s Greatest Provision”
Over the last few days we have been building a list in our home. We live by lists! Grocery lists, to do lists, special event lists. This one is different....
Monday’s Thanksgiving Thought
Gratitude begins vertical and becomes horizontal. As we offer thanks to the Source of every good gift, we are reminded of the many channels that He uses to deliver them....
Family Vacations
In a few weeks school will be out and summer will be in full swing. This is the time of year that young people (and their parents!) begin counting the...
Do This Today for the President of the United States
In my office at home is a bust of my favorite U.S. President. Since I was a boy I have admired the strength and gentleness of Abraham Lincoln. On a...
Seven Tips for Bible Reading
I often hear wonderful messages on the subject of reading the Word of God. The Scriptures are so wonderful! We may grow stale, but the Lord is perennially fresh! We...
How to Make the Most of the New Year
A special hour-glass sits on the desk in my study. It was a gift from my family and means a great deal to me. It actually measures fifteen minutes of time...
6 Things to Do in the Last 6 Days of the Year
The final week of the year is perhaps the strangest week of the year. It is like living in limbo. One year seems all but gone and the next is...
Missing Messiah
While preaching recently in the beautiful state of Connecticut I was driven through several old cemeteries. Very old. It was fascinating to see markers going back to the 1600's! It...
3 Christmas Traditions
We all have them. At times they must be adjusted, but always they live in our memory. Traditions held with family and friends. Fixed reference points in a world that...
A Christmas Letter from the Writer of Amazing Grace
You will be tempted not to finish reading this post. Could I ask you now to read to the very end? I have just completed a wonderful biography on the...
What’s On Your List?
Some time ago my wife challenged each member of our family to share three things for which we were grateful each night as we went to bed. It is easy...
A Spoiled Generation
A Spoiled Generation Recently I drove through the cemetery where all of my grandparents are now buried. I paused for a few moments at each grave and thought of the...
Integrity: Standing True In a Shifting World
Many years ago I was driving through the town I grew up in with my mother in the front seat and my sister in the back seat. I was driving...
A Memorial Day Meditation
Like many Americans, I had the opportunity today to go by the cemetery where our family members are buried. The rolling hills were decorated with flowers and flags. It seems...
A Goodly Heritage
It all started in the mountain state so near to my own heart. Anna Jarvis began to send carnations to her local church in Grafton, West Virginia in honor...
Turning a Holiday into a Holy Day
Recently I had the joy of sharing with several young married couples a few thoughts on how to make this holiday a holy day. The word holiday conjures up a variety...
My Thoughts on the Last Night of the Year
It was a joy to be with our church family tonight in the last hours of 2014. We came to the Lord's table together and our hearts were turned toward...
Christmas in Heaven?
There is a well-known song that imagines what Christmas must be like in Heaven. In truth, Heaven is one endless season of joy. In that beautiful place the wonder of...
My Thanksgiving List in One Sentence
Early this morning, I woke up with one phrase on my mind. It is repeated often in the Scripture - a familiar refrain. One psalm in particular uses this powerful...
Remembering My Grandpa
Just a few days ago I stood next to the old pond where my grandpa and I spent so much time together. Lots of memories. Good ones. I remember some...
A Tribute to My Mother
"When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee...
A Word for Christians about President’s Day
President's Day should be a reminder to pray. To pray for our president and for our nation. It is easy to complain. It takes no effort to criticize. But prayer...
How to Make the Most of the New Year
Another "how to" post? Not exactly. There will be no formula. No equation. No list. No step by step instructions. But there is a truth - one powerful truth -...
“At the Gate of the New Year”
It is Christmas, 1939, in London, England. King George VI addresses the British Empire as he does every year at this time. In his speech he quotes a beautiful poem...
Dealing with “Down Time”
Down times can often be down times. Activity, or lack of it, has a great deal of effect on our emotions. The closing days of a year are a very...
Remembering Those Who Cannot Be Home for Christmas
One of the most famous Christmas songs of all time says, "I'll be home for Christmas if only in my dreams." Bing Crosby made it popular but few people today...
The Biggest Birthday Celebration in the World
We are only days away from the biggest birthday celebration in the world! No birthday on earth has more celebration or more misunderstanding. A recent Pew survey suggests that half...
Remembering
Just a few days ago I had the privilege of being back where I grew up in West Virginia. It was refreshing to walk around my grandparents farm again and...
The Luggage of Life
It is my privilege to do a great deal of travel. Through the years I have learned it is best to travel light. Luggage slows you down and weighs you...
Making Christmas Gifts More Meaningful
Shiny packages and suspense are part of the excitement at Christmas. Fascinating, isn't it? We spend weeks buying the gifts (or one crazy day if you are like me) and...
