Joe Barnett

I thank my God every time I remember you.                                —Philippians 1:3 When someone posts you a birthday card, a note, or a “tell-her-hi-for-me,” you get the message that you have been something special to them; have planted a bit of […]

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.      —Romans 6:23 Life is tough. To survive it you have to grit your teeth and clench your fists. But you can do it. Yes sireee. You can do anything you set your mind to do, get anything you set your mind

What I want is not your possessions but you.                        —2 Corinthians 12:14 The gifts the Magi brought to Bethlehem’s manger were pricey but not practical—not baby-shower stuff. Practical gifts would have been booties and baby wash, diaper bags and strollers, teething rings and pacifiers.

Remember not the sins of my youth … according to your love remember me.                                 —Psalm 25:7 How you are remembered will be your legacy … You will be remembered for your attitude, positive or negative: for your kudos …

My peace I give you.     —John 14:27 You will go to your grave with some problems unresolved: family fractures unhealed; words spoken in heat and haste uncorrected; broken friendships unappeased; dreams unrealized. There are some things that can’t be fixed; some things you can’t undo. You can’t put a failed marriage back together.

A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.                          —Luke 12:15 Where did the time go? You got in the fast lane, and wham!—a big chunk of your life has zipped by. How would you grade your life so far?

They will still bear fruit in old age. —Psalm 92:14 Barring an early exit, you’re going to grow old. And what will make all the difference is the attitude you bring to it. You may decide that life is over because the things that defined you are over—career, title, possessions. If you come to the

Heartache crushes the spirit.            —Proverbs 15:13 Hiking the trails of past decisions is unproductive exercise … I should have stayed in school. I should have majored in something else. I should have gone for a different job. I should have married someone else. I should have spent more time with

In him we were also chosen.            —Ephesians 1:11 Jesus chose, called, taught, and trained the eleven apostles named in Acts 1:13; then went back to heaven and left the beginning of his church in their hands. The first 30 years of that church is chronicled in the book of Acts.

By grace you have been saved.              —Ephesians 2:8 The first ten verses of 2 Cor. 12 finds Paul on a Roller Coaster … First he soars to heights of ecstasy, caught up into heaven. Second he drops to depths of misery, tormented by a thorn in the flesh. Third