Article by Malcolm Marler

Do you ever envy other people’s talents?

Dr. Michael Saag is a friend and a world-class HIV researcher and physician.  But it’s his ability to quote entire dialogues from movies he has seen that makes me laugh hysterically.  Especially comedies…

He can have an entire room rolling on the floor by quoting a scene word for word.  I just shake my head in disbelief at his photographic memory.  Sometimes, I can’t even remember a movie’s title I watched last night!  Woe is me.

What talents do you envy in others?  Maybe it is someone who can sing, or play an instrument, or some other gift you wish you had?

The more we envy the talents of others, the more likely we will miss and devalue our own.  Envy is a marvelous distraction from self-discovery.

I Corinthians 12: 12-26 says that … all persons who claim to be a child of God are all connected to one another like the human body, and all parts of the body are equally important.  The hand doesn’t say to the foot we don’t need you, or the ears have no right to envy what the eyes can do … And so it is with our talents and gifts.

So how do I know what my gifts are?  How do I identify my gifts so that I can use them to further the work of the Creator?

For me, a starting place in discovering my own gifts is the answer to this question:  “What do I love to do in helping others?” Read More »

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Family.  When you hear the word “family,” what do you think and feel?

I’m convinced that family strengths can continue to strengthen us throughout our lives. What enables the family positive to remain positive in our lives?  The key is to accept “the blessing” and live “the blessing” …

I’m also convinced that “unfinished family issues” will play themselves out until we deal with them.  How?  The key is intentionally to live beyond “the family shadow” … 

When I am working with engaged couples, in premarital counseling, we talk through the foundational issues that can form a lifelong covenant for a successful marriage.  Among the five practical issues is our family of origin:

•”What are qualities from your first family you want to build into your married family”?

• “What are the family traits that you want to shed”?

• “How do you answer these questions about your fiancé’s family”? Read More »

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Time is a family gift. Time is a God-provided resource for us to use purposefully.  Time is a way of measuring the meaning of our lives.  Time is for love, worship, work, and re-creation.  

Of the 24 hours in each day, the average amount of television watched by an individual recently increased 3 minutes per day to 4 hours & 35 minutes (Nielsen Media Research).  That is more than one day per week that people sit in front of a TV set. 

Therefore, let’s talk about time, faith, and the television. Read More »

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Family is God’s gift of opportunity.

The opportunity is for us to form loving, meaningful, and enjoyable relationships.  What we do with family is our choice to make and how we make that choice goes a long way to shape our own happiness or unhappiness.

Consequently let’s work to get it right.

Family life is complicated. There’s no easy way to be and do family life.  But there are best ways and bad ways from which to choose.

Family life - God’s gift to us - is also meant to be our gift back to God and for each other.  There are four basic blessings that each family can give in order to win as a family:

1) focus & faithfulness;

2) delight in each other;

3) memories worth keeping;

4) growth & opportunities. 

Family life is also meant to be our gift back to God and for one another.  As a family, let’s trust God’s promises with such devotion that we succeed with each other and we help each family to succeed.

Pastor Les Hollon

Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.  Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”  “What did Moses command you?” he replied.

They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”

“It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’  So they are no longer two, but one.  Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

- Mark 10:1-9 (NIV)

People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant.  He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

- Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church.  For more information about God and your place in His world, contact Dr. Hollon, click over to Trinity Baptist Church.

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Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

Families in America spend billions of dollars to communicate.  We travel to see, touch and talk in person.  We speed dial to talk with our mobile devices.  We text to get and give quick information.  We tweet to be concise.

What are we saying with all of these efforts?  Well … a lot.

Bottom line, we are saying to each other that being understood and understanding is important to us.  To be effective we need to talk through matters that are important to us … even when the matters are initially difficult to discuss.

Condensing the thickest and best books on family research reveals that the healthiest families are not those who avoid talking about difficult subjects.  Instead it’s the families who can lovingly and respectfully talk through the difficulties that develop the strongest bonds.

Families who build from their strengths create the additional strength to work through any difficulties that show up.  Families can then live with a confidence of trust … and not be shackled by fear of the un-discussed.  Family members who trust each other are those who have the freedom to love without fear.  Which is when family life becomes fun. Read More »