As a youngster, I had a passionate love for my grandma’s gravy, whether it was her sausage gravy in the morning or the gravy she created to go over my small mountain of mashed potatoes. Truth is, she didn’t create much of anything in her kitchen that I didn’t want to be first in line to get, and in spite of my active life, I was a chubby little guy. I hated it when I had to sit down with her to order jeans from the latest edition of the Sears & Roebuck catalog. She’d always pat me on the leg and say, Continue reading
Father’s Day ~ What If We Lit Up More than the Grill?
Father’s Day 2019 is dawning upon us, and the average article on this “Hallmark Holiday” tends to focus on nostalgic recollections of families engaged in various outdoor activities. Dad is pictured as the family chef whose main job is to throw a slab of red meat on a grill over some glowing charcoal as uplifting music plays in the background. While we at Gallagher’s Pen appreciate all those happy family scenes, we’re choosing to leave all that nostalgia on the shelf alongside the greeting cards. Given the significance that God attached to fatherhood, celebrating that relationship and recognizing the vital role God designed it to play deserves more Continue reading
D-Day ~ The Greatest Battles Reveal the Greatest Gifts
Many of us watched some of the events commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Normandy this week. There were moments when tears freely flowed from hearts overwhelmed by images of that day. Graphic reminders called us to a fresh realization of the hellish cost of the freedom we so easily take for granted. Some have considered it the greatest battle of the greatest war and fought by the greatest generation our nation has ever produced. Whether or not that is true, at least this much is clear. The greatest Continue reading
Prophetic Burdens, Dark Clouds, and Rainbows of Hope
I sometimes feel sorry for the Old Testament prophets. Their messages from God were often described as a “burden.” That’s understandable given their divinely appointed task of publicly pointing out the nation’s sinful behavior and total disregard of God. Beyond that, they were obligated to announce the judgment that their rebellion against God would unleash. The consequences of rejecting God are not always immediate, but they are ultimately unavoidable, and God’s prophets were burdened messengers of grace sent to warn the potential victims.
An Intolerable Vacuum ~
When God is rejected, there’s an emptiness left in the space God designed for Himself. It leaves a spiritual vacuum that the hearts and minds of human beings cannot tolerate, and a process begins that quickly fills the space with Continue reading
Heaven’s Wounded Warrior ~ A Different Kind of Memorial
Living in a country where memorials of one kind or another dot the landscape can make dealing with a holiday like Memorial Day a bit challenging. Reminders of sacrifices made and the cost of victories won are everywhere, but as this Memorial Day approaches, my thoughts are captivated by monuments that aren’t carved out of granite and marble or engraved on brass plaques. I think there is no more fitting memorial to be considered than the scars borne by those who engaged enemies in our place, fought battles on our behalf, and whose torn, broken, burned, and violated bodies insulated us from the kinds of torture they endured to secure our freedom. I join with multitudes this Memorial Day in honoring those warriors and celebrating the legacy of courage that was established in their wounds and preserved by their scars. Continue reading
Essential Oils, Part II ~ Midnight Cries and Empty Lamps
Last week I borrowed the term “essential oils” and used it to introduce a brief look at one of Jesus’ parables found in Matthew 25:1-13. The story involves ten bridesmaids and centered on the failure of half of them to be adequately equipped. The “foolish five” had gone in search of more oil and were absent when the bridegroom arrived. That caused them to be excluded from the wedding and shut out of the subsequent celebration.
The previous post highlighted the fact that an unavoidable face-to-face meeting with the Lord awaits each of us at some point in the future and Continue reading
