Blog
There is a reason why the Church should never allow the defiance we see taking place against God to derail our faith. The Lord is creating something with that defiance. The psalmist describes how God will disable the weapons of spiritual warfare by destroying the...
Yesterday, I met with a young pastor who leads a local congregation. If one studied our conversation they would discover a single and repeated thread in our time together – the faithfulness of God. I was reminded of something the psalmist said, “O God, you have taught...
This is a quick video about an important decision we all need to make to prepare us for what is coming. https://www.facebook.com/garris.elkins/videos/816902300292362
A full life is not one where each moment is always occupied with something to do or experience. Fullness is the result of a rest produced by a willingness to choose peace over strife, hope over despair. Rest is the evidence of a life of fullness.
When I traveled to Russia, I came home with gifts for my family. On Arbat Street in Moscow, I purchased a matryoshka doll, also known as a nesting or stacking doll. These dolls are cylindrical wooden containers with the picture of a person painted on their surface....
When I was a little boy, I would awaken each Christmas morning and for just a moment, not realize it was Christmas. In that pause, I thought it was just another day until my young mind kicked into gear. When the realization - THIS IS CHRISTMAS MORNING! - finally hit...
When Jan and I pastored our first church in Kalispell, Montana, we experienced a lot of firsts. We had our first Sunday as pastors of a new church with only one visitor attending. Our first real Rocky Mountain winter was a new experience, and so was the view from our...
The oil crisis of the early 1970’s and the resulting gas shortage was not a fun time in the United States. Long lines at gas stations appeared, and rationing had become part of our daily life. The speed limit on the freeways was reduced to 55 mph to...
God is about to bring understanding to the contrasting, and sometimes confusing seasons of your life. One season does not fully define you. The total must be seen in order for each of the parts to be understood. On my first visit to Madrid, Spain, I was invited...
If you receive a kind response from someone, it does not mean they agree with you. Kindness does not require agreement. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit that guides the interaction between people who may have very different opinions on a particular subject....
It has been almost 40 years since I wore a police uniform. The 9 years I worked as a cop brought me in contact with the most heart-wrenching of situations. One night, I got a call to conduct a welfare check. A landlord became concerned at the non-stop crying of a...
What makes the approach of a New Year so challenging for many of us is not the newness or unfamiliarity that awaits us in the coming year, it is the goodbyes we had to say in the previous year that became painful weights to our soul. These goodbyes are like emotional...
There is a gruesome parasite called Cymothoa Exigua. It is a louse parasite that enters a fish through its gills. Once inside, it severs the blood vessels to the tongue of the host fish, causing its tongue to die and eventually fall off. After consuming the dead...
A few weeks ago someone on Facebook posted something that was insightful, yet troubling because it was painfully true. I impulsively went to hit the "like" button but remembered this person rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t like the content of his life or the way he...
When I was a street cop, I wore a bulletproof vest, also known as body armor. My vest was made by a company called Second Chance. It had two panels. One panel covered my chest and the other panel covered my back. I never hit the streets in uniform without wearing my...