by Garris Elkins | Sep 14, 2014 | Church, Leadership, Wisdom
Twenty-five years ago, I asked a wise pastor his opinion about the battles he fought over issues of faith. As a younger pastor he was known to have had a history of picking verbal fights with anyone with whom he disagreed. He had thankfully mellowed over...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 10, 2014 | Future, Hope, Peace, Trust
Jan and I live on a quiet street nestled in the foothills of Southern Oregon. We are shielded from much of the noise generated by the communities in valley below. There are times when it is completely silent. This morning in the stillness, I heard the distant and...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 9, 2014 | Destiny, Honor, Identity, Trust
A couple of years ago, I was hiking on a mountain trail above our home. As I hiked, I came across a very large and aggressive dog. I could see the owner had let his dog off leash to enjoy a run. Unleashed dogs are not allowed on this particular trail system. There are...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 8, 2014 | Faith, Forgiveness, Hope, Identity, Intimacy, Joy, Prayer, Trust
As a young man, I heard Richard Wurmbrand speak. I sat in awe as I listened to his testimony. Richard was held captive in horrible prison conditions in Romania because of his faith during the time of Communist rule. He was separated from his wife and...
by Garris Elkins | Sep 8, 2014 | Death, Faith, Future, Hope
The older I get the less I like changing seasons. To some this sounds like emotional heresy, but that’s my reality. I prefer life to resemble a perpetual spring – the latter part of spring when the rains wind down and things begin to dry out. Spring means new life and...
