Season 2, episode 1 - Sipping Tea in the Living Room

Just as is typical with a lot of authors, once my book is published I rarely—other than for handing a copy to an interested party—pick it up again. I think that is an act of love.

When you write from that special place and spend time poring over, praying over, and editing the material, by the time the final copy is ready for print, you kind of consider that particular product to be the finished and inspired product. To make any additional edits to the finished product (which would undoubtedly happen when you are one who strives for perfection), becomes an internal struggle because that desire to continually make additional edits to the finished product makes it, again, a work product.  Believe me, the struggle is real.

I have decided to deviate from my past practice (or aversion) and in this case, read portions of Chapters 2 and 7 from my book as the last installment of this podcast series. Maybe this will become a thing for me? I do not know. But I hope my listening audience will find the tease titillating, inspiring, and enjoyable.

Feeling a little bored with herself one afternoon, a pastor’s wife decided to go shopping. After visiting several stores, she came across a dress that caught her attention. She knew in her heart that, that dress would give her the spark she was looking for and would make her feel pretty. She tried it on, and it was a perfect fit! So, disregarding the price tag, she bought the dress.

When her husband came home, after exchanging courtesies, he asked her what she did with her day. Excited about her purchase, she blurted out that she went shopping and found and bought the perfect dress.

Many of us are gift-givers. For instance, it is not unusual for most of us to tip a waiter at a restaurant; a live singer or band playing at an establishment; the doorman or woman or baggage handlers when checking in or out of hotels; our hairstylists or nail technicians, or most anyone who provides a curtesy or service. Some even extend their giving to panhandlers on sidewalks, in the streets, or on the side of the road.

Yes, we give, yet there are many different motives and types of givers.

I believe that unwrapping our spiritual gifts can be compared to my experience with my car, meaning that upon answering the irresistible call, we obtain or are gifted with God-given special abilities or with new ways of using our current abilities for the kingdom work of enriching the church or the body of believers...

The word authenticity (with all of its five syllables) is a mouth full of a word to say. It is an important word. It houses the word authentic. When something or someone is said to be authentic or possesses authenticity, that is both, a compliment of the highest order, and a declaration that the person or thing is perceived as being true to themselves and living in their purpose...

... While the beginning stages of recovering from the pandemic of 2020 is a wonderful thing; millions can attest to the fact that enduring it for more than twelve months—in isolation—created deep yearnings in the soul. Being isolated either forces reflection, which compels change, or it sets us up for apathy or a kind of inertia that overwhelms us and robs us of our will to accomplish anything...

I believe everyone who is even vaguely familiar with the contents of the Holy Bible knows the first five words in Genesis, the first-named book, which read: “In the beginning God created…”

We are not here to argue the theory of Creation versus the theory of Evolution. I happen to believe that truths of both exist in their proper context. However, as a believer, I cannot help but celebrate what I believe is the fact that no matter how all life forms have evolved over time, the total package (meaning the universe, the sky, the land, and the seas) was designed in such a way as to sustain life for many thousands of years...