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The Ten Commandments by James R. Coggins

People sometimes rebel against moral codes such as the “Ten Commandments” (Exodus 20:1-17) and ask what gives Christians the right to tell people what to do. The answer is that Christians do not have that right. But the real question is what gives God the right to tell people what to do. The answer is that God created human beings and therefore has that right. Further, there is the answer given…

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Remembering My Grandfather by James R Coggins

My grandfather clanked when he walked. He lived with our family in my early years when I was growing up. He read stories and recited nursery rhymes to us children. I remember him as being very tall. His war records state that he was five feet, four and a half inches—taller than my parents, but hardly the giant of my memory. My grandfather did not relish war, but he felt it was his duty to…

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Is This the Right Way?

As a Christian Suspense author, I write a lot about characters who don’t always make the good decisions in their lives. All it takes is one wrong turn and they find themselves in a lot of danger. Thankfully, with God’s guidance, I can get them back on track and give them a happy ending despite their mistakes. In real life it isn’t always so easy. Making a wrong turn can derail us and get us off…

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The Prayer of Faith by James R. Coggins

In James 5, James was encouraging his Christian readers to pray by pointing out the example of Elijah: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops” (James 5:17-18). Elijah, James said, was just a human being like the…

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Frozen in Fear by Nancy J. Farrier

I’ve mentioned before the I take long walks in the desert pretty much every day. Over the years, I’ve seen several rattlesnakes. One thing that always happens is the snake does its best to get to safety—usually by hiding under a bush. Yes, they rattle as they go, but they’ve never struck at me, and they always escape as fast as possible.  A couple of weeks ago, I walked right by a…

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Medieval Torture Devices by James R. Coggins

The Middle Ages in Europe are often considered to be an era of “economic, intellectual, and cultural decline” between two great eras of civilization. They lasted about a thousand years, from the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century to the rise of modern Europe, beginning with the Renaissance in the fifteenth century. The Middle Ages are also called “the Dark Ages,” a term first coined…

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In All Circumstances by James R. Coggins

In the Bible book named after him, James talks a lot about dealing with suffering, but not all of life is hard. James concludes his letter with an exhortation to make God central in all parts of our lives (James 5:13-20). If we are experiencing blessing, we should thank and praise God: “Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise” (James 5:13). If we are suffering, we should pray for God’s…

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Hurricane Times Two by Tara Randel

I’m just going to state the obvious right off the bat. Two devastating hurricanes back-to-back is no fun. First Helene decimated the coastal areas not far from my home. The flooding was significant. I have friends who have lost their homes due to the storm surge. Then Milton barreled toward us, the aftermath causing inland flooding and because of the high winds, lots of downed trees. On the…

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Smarter and More Competent than I am by James R. Coggins

Things have changed. We had not bought a car for seventeen years. The problem is that the Japanese know how to build good cars. Our seventeen-year-old Toyota Yaris was still running very well, and our mechanic said it could continue to run well for another ten to fifteen years. But still it was time. So, my wife and I went out and bought a brand new Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Only had to wait twelve…

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Time To Look Up!

As a kid, I never really thought much about end times. I never read Revelation or thought about such terms as the rapture or tribulation. End time prophesy always seemed like something that would happen one day probably not in my lifetime. When the Left Behind Series first came on the scene, they got my attention because the books were a fictional account of what might happen after the rapture…

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Rich and Poor by James R. Coggins

James 5 begins with a forceful condemnation of the rich: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers…

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Something Strange by James R. Coggins

I found something strange in my mailbox today. Among all the flyers (air mail), store coupons, political advertisements, bills, lottery notices, etc. was a white envelope about nine inches by four inches. I couldn’t recall ever seeing anything like it. I checked, and it was addressed to me, but the address had not been printed on a computer printer. Someone had written the address by hand. This…

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Car Shopping by Tara Randel

Earlier this summer my vehicle started having trouble. I love my 2003 Jeep Liberty. I was only supposed to have it for a few years, but ten years later, it’s mostly going strong. With a bit of age creeping in. My husband and I went car shopping, and I test drove all the vehicles that are comparable in size to my Liberty. Problem? I didn’t want a newer car. Especially after my husband brought the…

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Humility by James R. Coggins

The biblical writer James wrote: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’…Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that’” (James 4:13-15). All of us make plans, and planning is generally a good thing. So, what was James’s point? James called this type of planning…

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Sprinting in Faith by Nancy J. Farrier

Photo by Braden Collum on Unsplash Writing is often a solitary business. You have your writing area, usually away from people or things that might distract—such as cute cat videos or a good book to read. When you are on your own, it’s often easy to be distracted from the task at hand and losing track of what you should be doing. If you think about it, most jobs come with a workplace, coworkers,…

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Paul Simon Is a Poet by James R. Coggins

I discovered the music of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel when I was in university, and I was deeply impressed, particularly by the lyrics, most of which were written by Paul Simon. As the years have gone on, I have remained impressed. Paul Simon’s songs offer a deep understanding of the brokenness of the world, even if they offer few solutions. More recently, I noticed how often Simon’s songs…

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Everybody Needs a Martha!

The story of Martha from the Bible reveals several things about her. She had a servant’s heart. We first meet Martha while she and her sister and brother are hosting a dinner for Jesus. Martha wanted everything to be perfect and got frustrated with her sister Mary for not helping. We later read about Martha after her brother Lazarus died. She meets Jesus and tells Him that if He’d been there,…