Author Archives: Rob

I’ve been fooled before. I know that it’s well and truly winter, but suddenly an unusually warm day appears and I think, “Well, this winter won’t be so bad, after all.” Inevitably it turns out that I was mistaken, and Jack Frost shows his true colors with a vengeance. Winter, you got me again! HaveContinue reading “Fool Me Once”

We like what we know. We appreciate the familiar. I’m comfortable teaching the same classes over and over—reiterating my routine lectures, providing my stock examples—it’s so nice to stay in my little, unchanging world. But change is inescapable. Recently I’ve been teaching several brand-new classes for the first time. This is stressful to me. ChangeContinue reading “A Rolling Stone”

And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” What a relief! When I would come home from throwing hay, I would be hot andContinue reading “New Clothes for a New Year”

I had a Jewish friend who used to say, “God is in the details.” That means that the smallest things are important. Even if they seem infinitesimally tiny and insignificant to us, they matter. Dave was talking about product quality. He reasoned that if someone cared enough to give thought to what screws or otherContinue reading “The Details”

“Peace on Earth.” We hear this a lot at this time of year. We read it on Christmas cards or decorative displays. We even sing these words in a few of our most beloved Christmas carols. But it seems that most of us don’t understand what the angels were talking about when they declared, “GloryContinue reading “Peace on Earth”

Everybody’s got a mountain to climb, and most of those mountains are bigger than mine. Steve Seskin Monday was worse than usual. Some would say that, for a Monday, that’s pretty bad. As I was setting up a few things for my class, the power in the building failed. It was only off for aContinue reading “Mountains From Molehills”

I notice how some people drive and will break one or two laws while fastidiously observing all others. James said, “For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” In other words, violate one law of a thousand and you’veContinue reading “Luby’s-Style Legalism”

Recently I was in a drive-through line, and the woman in the car in front of me was in a hurry—a really big hurry. She was in such a rush that, as soon as she got her food, she sped out of the parking lot, leaving behind her credit card. Though an employee tried franticallyContinue reading “Haste Makes Waste”

The holidays are a time when many people gather with family, extended family, friends—people that are loved and cherished because of their relationships with us. The older I get, the more important family becomes to me. I believe that God intended for us to foster and nourish all of our relationships, but particularly those withContinue reading “All In the Family”

We know that anxiety and worry can take a toll on us. We experience the physical effects in the form of stress-related illness. The psychological and emotional impact can leave us feeling weary or depressed. It turns out that there are plenty of good reasons that our loving Father tells us, “do not be anxiousContinue reading “What, Me Worry?”