“My people are determined to turn from me…[yet] how can I give you up?” (Hosea 11:7-8, NIV).

     I grew up with a wiener dog named Frank. (An ironic name, don’t you think?) In his younger days, Frank liked to run away from home. Being the oldest child, I was tasked with catching him. I grew tired of Frank’s departures to the point that I threw up my hands in disgust and shouted, “Good riddance!” A very wise neighbor overheard my exclamation and asked me why I was so upset. I told Mr. Hannus that I never wanted to see that ungrateful dog, again. To which he replied, “Son, you don’t stop loving someone just because they lack the sense to love you back.”

“By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”    (1 Peter 1:3, NRSV).

“Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God highly honored him and gave him a name above all names”
(Philippians 2:5, 8-9, CEB ).

     I love babies. I am excited to become a grandfather for the second time. It’s good to be a grandpa. I can hand my grandson back over to my children when he gets fussy.

“Brothers and sisters, I myself don’t think I’ve reached it, but I do this one thing: I forget about the things behind me and reach out for the things ahead of me” (Philippians 3:13,CEB).

     My daughter owns a horse. His name is Skipper. Skipper is a twelve-hundred pound toddler. Whatever one may ask him to do, he does just the opposite.

Daily Focus: Gratitude for a possession

”I give thanks to GOD with everything I’ve got—Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation. GOD’s works are so great” (Psalm 111:1, MSG).

     Whenever I enter my office, I pass by a picture painted by a young Haitian artist named Michel. The portrait boasts a brightly colored image of a small village located in the mountains of Hispaniola. The painting is one of my most prized possessions as it reminds me of the people with whom I once served. The importance of this artwork lies not in its commercial value but in the precious memories it recalls to my mind.