by Garris Elkins | Dec 20, 2017 | Courage, Death, Deliverance, Faith, Future, Hope, Marriage, Relationships, Restoration, Resurrection, Revelation, Spiritual Warfare, Trust
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...
by Garris Elkins | Dec 16, 2017 | Courage, Death, Deliverance, Discipline, Family, Father, Fathers, God, Justice, Marriage, Mercy, Obedience, Peace, Power, Spiritual Warfare, Trust
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...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 30, 2017 | Courage, Deliverance, Discipline, Family, Fear, Freedom, Future, Hope, Love, Marriage, Obedience, Peace, Power, Prayer, Promise, Reconciliation, Relationships, Revelation, Spiritual Warfare, Vision.
I was sitting in my writing chair listening to some beautiful instrumental Christmas music. It was a piano solo. As the pianist continued to play a soft melody, in the distance, I heard the wailing song of a siren clearing the way in route to an unknown trauma. The...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 24, 2017 | Discipleship, Family, Honor, Humility, Marriage, Relationships, Revelation, Teaching, Word
Early this morning, I received an email with an offer for a Black Friday special sale price on the annual subscription rate for a grammar program I use called Grammarly. The offer included an upgrade to their premium service. I couldn’t pass up the deal. About...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 22, 2017 | Creativity, Discipline, Family, Freedom, Giving, Honor, Intimacy, Love, Marriage, Ministry, Obedience, Peace, Relationships, Wisdom
My pastor, Roy Hicks, Jr., told a humorous story about how his wife Kay got his attention late one night. After many years pastoring the Eugene Faith Center, Roy became the Director of Missions for the Foursquare Church. It was a demanding job. Roy spent many...
by Garris Elkins | Nov 15, 2017 | Courage, Creativity, Deliverance, Dreams, Faith, Family, Fear, Future, Honor, Identity, Marriage, Miracles, Promotion, Provision, Relationships, Restoration, Thankfulness, Trust, Vision.
In 1968, at age 60, my father had a heart attack. For a man who was a carpenter and had to work with his hands to make a living, this changed everything. After his heart attack, my father took a remodeling job in an adjoining city with a plan for a house to...
