I have just returned from the Global Korean Young Adult Mission Festival (GKYM) held this year in Rochester, New York. I was not able to accept invitations to speak at this conference previously, so this was my first time to gather with more than 3,000 second-generation Koreans, primarily from the U.S. and Canada for this […]

Even though Christmas is a religious holiday, getting together with family takes pre-eminence. Many churches canceled worship on Christmas Day knowing members would be scattered far and wide to gather with family. Stories have been written and movies produced about estranged and dysfunctional families gathering for the holidays. Thatʼs certainly not the case with ours […]

In all the festivity that surrounds the season it is easy to ignore the fact that at the heart of Christmas is the mission of God. Buying presents, decorating our homes, enjoying music we listen to only at this time of year and indulging in goodies we would not otherwise eat, obscure the significance of […]

We are returning to a little common sense in decorating for Christmas now that we are down home in Mississippi. We were overwhelmed by Texas traditions during our early years of marriage. Everyone tried to outdo their neighbors in excessive decorations. “Gaudy” is not an inappropriate word for outlining one’s house, covering every bush and […]

There was no mistaking the identity of the baby born in Bethlehem that first Christmas. The angel declared to the shepherds,“ Today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). He was Christ, the long-awaited Messiah promised to Israel centuries ago and predicted […]

Several years ago the International Mission Board encouraged churches to give more generously to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering by using the theme, “Is Lottie Moon Starving Again?” The promotion generated a backlash from many who considered this disrespectful of Lottie Moon who literally starved to death. She was a pioneer missionary to China in […]

We are home after another road trip last week which included engagements in East Tennessee, South Carolina and Alabama. Now it is crunch time for getting the Christmas shopping done and and decorating the tree. We always have intentions of shopping early but usually are among those who wait until the final days. Driving home […]

Thanksgiving is over so, in contrast to many commercial early-promoters, we are ready  to acknowledge that Christmas is coming. At this time every year I vow to better organize and label our Christmas decorations next time, but by New Year’s we are ready to get them out of sight and into the attic. Now we […]

I have never known anyone to say, “My goal in life is to be a failure.” I have known those who seem to be directionless and are floundering in identifying a compelling purpose for their lives. Others may lack ambition and are satisfied just to get by; as long as life’s basic needs are provided […]