Havenwood Baptist Church

When someone passes from this world, it is a time to remember. Many of us have experienced just such a time of memorial after having lost a loved one. For me, it was very significant to have lost my dad just a couple of weeks ago. When that happens, you want to remember them in the best way possible. I thought a lot about how to remember Dad. There weren’t great individual moments of achievement that I could point to in order to memorialize him. However, he did have qualities that I hope to pass on to generations to come.

Are you suffering through hard times? In James 1, the instruction doesn't seem to make sense for those under trial. James says, "Count it all joy". Are you serious? It doesn't make it any easier when we think about pleasing God in the midst of a trial. Is God just being mean and sadistic? The answer is "NO!" God wants the best for you, though you may not even realize it.

Clear, edifying communication is the lifeblood of a believer's walk with God and work with people. Not all communications are so helpful. In the book "The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork", author John Maxwell gives this example of communications gone haywire. It is a series of memos on a college campus: