Joe Barnett

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.                                     —Psalm 24:1 The Houston Museum of Natural Science displays a stunning ten-foot globe, created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. I was given a handout with a […]

Do what is right, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of man.                   —2 Corinthians 8:21 I know a man who’s been lying to his wife about his computer transgressions, while she’s been lying to him about her out-of-control credit

Generations come and generations go.                     —Ecclesiastes 1:4 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera opened on January 26, 1988, at the Majestic Theater at 245 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan, and has been playing there ever since. With a record-breaking 13,000+ performances, it

I will not neglect your word.           —Psalm 119:16 Gone with the Wind, among Hollywood’s most commercially profitable films, premiered on December 15, 1939. The movie was based on Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel, which sold a million copies in six months, and has been translated into more than forty languages. Compare.

God made all things.   —Romans 11:36 Meandering 4,132 miles, the Nile is the world’s longest river. It played a crucial role in the development and sustenance of Egyptian civilization. Greek historian Herodotus wrote that “Egypt was the gift of the Nile.” Wouldn’t you know that some inflated ego would take credit? Sure enough, Pharaoh,

We . . . always mention you in our prayers.                    —1 Thessalonians 1:2 In a recent essay, my friend Gene Shelburne gives a tip of the hat to the grand old hymn Count Your Blessings, but he fears we overlook the hymn’s advice to “name them

First get rid of the log from your own eye.                        —Matthew 7:5 What’s needling you? Your boss? A co-worker? Someone in your church? ___________________? Fill in the blank. At some point, I’ve struggled with each of the above. But none of them qualify as

There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.                                     —Proverbs 18:24 Your friends are foundational relationships. Some you’ve known for years—perhaps since the fourth grade. Some are recent but fill your soul with a feeling that

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.               —Romans 12:6 “You can be anything you want to be.” “You can do anything you want to do.” Neither of these frequently-quoted statements is true. Some things are beyond the reach of our knowledge and skills. But here’s