Aiming at Nothing
The Pacific Garden Mission, founded in 1877 on the notorious Whiskey Row in Chicago’s South Loop, is the oldest continuously-serving rescue mission in America. It was the first place I preached after my honeymoon more than 50 years ago. Following the...
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Fickle Fortune
Not long after crossing from Louisiana into Mississippi on Highway 969, near Pinckneyville, you’ll find a monument to fickle fortune. It isn’t inscribed that way on the roadside plaque. It’s never that obvious. Instead, it indicates the unmarked grave of Oliver...
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Out Of The Blue
“You rang, m’lord?” This doesn’t refer to a phone call. It was the response of household servants when summoned by a bell. One result of placing our faith in Christ as Savior is a remarkable communications device. The moment we believe,...
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Heart Rot
My property is blessed with beautiful trees. But trees get old, like us. We became concerned about one, more than 100 feet high, leaning lovingly towards our house. Time to take the old oak down. I called my friend, Joseph Lampkin,...
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New Year’s Plans?
A dear friend had the best stories. One’s about a fellow considered the smartest guy in town. Successful in business, he was enlarging his warehouse since he’d outgrown the old facilities. He was at the point in life where it was...
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Shopping For The Ages
I know. A few of you did your Christmas shopping during last January’s clearance. Your gift wrap—featuring Santa in Hawaiian shirts—was 75% off. For good reason! The majority of us, however, still like shopping closer to the event, with the sparkling...
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The Happening Place
If you weren’t familiar with North America, wouldn’t it be a bit disorienting to discover that North Carolina is in the south and South Dakota’s in the north? Our geography may be a curiosity, but for one country it’s a...
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How’s Your Oughtobiography Coming?
Last Saturday I headed to Jackson for a hospital visit. It was a glorious day as I traversed the verdant hills of the Mississippi countryside. But my mind was momentarily preempted from the beauty by the name of a friend of...
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Beautiful Feet
Jaffa, biblical Joppa, sits atop a hill jutting out into the sapphire Mediterranean, Israel’s ancient seaport and historic gateway to the world. Restored today, Old Jaffa’s cobblestone alleys wind past buildings older than America. Filled with art galleries and restaurants, the...
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