Fanning the Flames

By James Pence –

I’m not much of a camper. As a matter of fact, my idea of roughing it is staying at a hotel where they don’t put a mint on your pillow each night. But when my children were young, I sacrificed my comfort twice a year to attend our church’s annual Father-Son and Father-Daughter camping trips. Often these weekend camp-outs were held in March and proved to be chilly affairs. Read more

Seeking God with All My Heart

By James Pence –

I love the book of Psalms. For many years it has been the centerpiece of my devotional life. A few years ago I decided to take on the challenge of memorizing Psalm 119, the longest psalm in the book. I’m only about fifty verses in, but the richness of this psalm never ceases to amaze me. Read more

Creation Screams, “God!”

There’s nothing like springtime in North Texas. Flowers and trees come into bloom with wave after wave of color. Early on, it’s the gentle lavender of the redbud trees. Then come the pears, clouds of white blossoms against a still-barren landscape. Next are the dogwoods, more white blossoms, this time sprinkled in darkly-wooded areas as if by an artist with an airbrush. About the same time, the bluebonnets come into bloom, casting blue patches with white highlights along highways for miles and miles along the Texas landscape. The spring wildflower season finally ends with the yellow-orange glow of black-eyed susans. Read more

Living on the Edge of Eternity

I remember hearing someone tell the story about a man who calculated the number of days he had left, assuming he were to live to be eighty years old. He then put that number on his desk, and ticked off each day as a reminder of how short his time was. Read more

Darkness Helps Us See Light

For many years, painting and drawing been my way to escape the pressures of life. When I sit down at the table, pull out my watercolors and begin to work on a picture, it feels like time freezes. I can easily spend hours painting and feel like only minutes have passed. Because I paint and draw to relax, I’ve never been overly concerned about doing things the “right” way. In other words, I didn’t worry much about whether my work would pass the scrutiny of a genuine artist. That wasn’t my purpose. Read more

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