16 Mar 2026
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny knowing Him (John 13:38). He knew in advance that that would happen. Peter had no clue and swore he would never betray Him. It came to pass in John 18:17. That’s how well God knows us. May we trust what He says concerning us. May He be gracious enough to speak to us and may we heed what He says.
It’s About Seeing Us!
Do you see and listen to these folks around you? Josh has shared a few stories with me about his friend Jack. He has come to call him “Professor” Jack. I can understand that venerable title, given some of the really important things Jack taught him. Professor Jack is a homeless man in Detroit. In better days, he played in a band, owned a restaurant, and had a family. Addiction to drugs took all those things away from Jack. When Josh first met him, Jack was taking a meal from some church members whose hearts had been convicted about their need to help the poor. And he certainly qualified. Jack began to be a tutor and coach to my young friend as the two just sat and talked. Josh can, in fact, tick off a catalog of things he learned from Jack. One of the most important lessons came early in the course. As with first-rate teachers from Moses to Socrates to Jesus, Jack was open to questions. So Josh dared to ask him what good-intentioned people with charitable hearts could do that would really make a difference for the poor and homeless. “Make us feel real,” he said. “We want to feel like we are real people. See us. Talk to us. Be with us. Help us feel. It isn’t just about feeding us or giving us clothes. It’s about seeing us.” Now there’s a lesson that do-gooders like me need to learn! We know what Jesus taught about visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, and clothing the naked. And we know that faith without works is dead. So we send get-well cards or visit hospitals. We donate money and build soup kitchens. We drop off used clothing. All those are good things. But what about personal awareness? What about communicating a person’s worth? What about making her feel valued rather than pitied? And how do I let someone know he is a human being to me, not a project? Professor Jack says it is as simple, direct, and difficult as making eye contact. Spending a little time in conversation. Asking an occasional question – and really taking what is said to heart. Okay, so you’re not the next Mother Teresa or someone who is going to give up your warm bed to live among street people in the dead of winter. Me either! But we can try to keep our giving and caring from becoming impersonal. We can actually be on-site occasionally. Give time as well as money. Have a conversation. Show some respect. It would be a fitting tribute to Professor Jack. He died of an overdose in December. I’m glad he knew he had been seen before he died. [Jesus said]Give what you have to anyone who asks you for it; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do for others as you would like them to do for you.“Do you think you deserve credit merely for loving those who love you? Even the sinners do that! And if you do good only to those who do good to you, is that so wonderful? Even sinners do that much! And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, what good is that? Even sinners will lend to their own kind for a full return.Love your enemies! Do good to them! Lend to them! And don’t be concerned that they might not repay. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and to those who are wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. (Luke 6:30-36 NLT) About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
The Bookmark
What good is a little bookmark? In the huge scheme of things, bookmarks do not play a very important role. They are fairly incidental – convenient but not essential. People often fuss about a mislaid book, but does anyone fuss about a mislaid bookmark? The bookmark’s exalted cousin, the book, is copyrighted, criticized, computerized, reviewed, reviled, revered, discussed, defamed, disputed, distributed, even sometimes black-marketed. It can even be burned or extinguished in a culture. But bookmarks? Who cares? Has anyone ever heard of a “burn the bookmarks” campaign? And what intrepid little battlers they are! They outlast any thumbed-over old volume. Decades after a book has drawn its last readable breath, its bookmark is as fresh as a daisy and as new as tomorrow. Did you know that a bookmark can suspend thought indefinitely? It will hold your mind at the full-stop where you stopped thinking. It can then take you back to the same moment a day, a week, a year, or even a decade later. So don’t mess with bookmarks, especially the ones that carry individually designed messages. Their one-liners can rock the foundations of belief. Usually they have an intriguing little picture at the top – just to get your attention – and below it they have their philosophy. They say things like, “You are not what you think you are, but what you think, you are.” That’s a conversation killer if ever there was one. You would never dare express your thoughts again with that sliding in and out of life’s pages. One of my bookmarks has the most potent screamer I have ever heard. I don’t know who the author is, but I do hope he got a Knighthood or a clap of thunder or something significant. He penned, “It doesn’t take much of a man to be a Christian, but it takes all there is of him.” Like I said, don’t mess with bookmarks. If you do, they will hound you for the rest of your life. They will travel in and out of every page of your personal history. Mine does. (With apologies to Proverbs 23:7 and Deuteronomy 6:5!) About the author: Elizabeth is a team writer for “Just a Minute” e-zine.
It’s All the Rage
Can you let go of your brick or do you still want to throw it? It appears to be all the rage these days. Rage, that is. It comes in countless varieties – road rage, grocery store rage, airline rage, youth sports rage, restaurant rage, standing-in-line rage, can’t-get-in-line rage, ad nauseum. There is no end to short tempers and bad manners on public display these days. Think about the sports pages of your newspaper. Poor sportsmanship and anger literally “beat out” scores and game highlights. The fiercest action is in the stands. A Texas mother slaps the mother of a girl on the winning basketball team at the end of the game. A Florida high school baseball coach breaks an umpire’s jaw after a disputed call. A father beats another father to death in an argument over rough play at their sons’ hockey practice. All sorts of explanations are offered for this epidemic of anger. Social scientists blame stress, high expectations, and multi-tasking. This isn’t merely a psychological problem. It’s a moral issue that reflects a lack of the virtue called self-control. It is a lack of respect for other people and reflects the childish sentiment some never outgrow that everything must happen my way. If Jesus taught his disciples to suffer persecution for the gospel without retaliating and to turn the other cheek to personal insults, what implications do you think his teachings have for getting cut off in traffic or a referee’s bad call? The late Henri Nouwen told the story of John and Sandy. “We’ve never had an argument,” said John. “Let’s have a squabble like other people have.” “But how do we start an argument?” asked Sandy. “It’s very simple,” replied John. “I take a brick and say, ‘It’s mine,’ and then you say, ‘No, it’s mine.’ And then we have an argument.” So they sat down to find out what quarreling was like, and John took a brick and said, “This brick is mine.” Sandy looked over at him gently and said, “Well, if it is yours, you take it.” Where did I get the idea that I am entitled to everything I want whenever I want it? Has our materialistic and narcissistic age so infected us all that no one can do without, wait her turn, or lose an athletic contest? Do others have rights? Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the sight of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone (Romans 12:17-18 TNIV). If you’re holding a brick of anger or resentment today, don’t let fly. Let go. About the author: Rubel Shelly preached for decades and served as a professor of medical ethics, Bible, and philosophy at multiple universities. He was a former president of Rochester College and Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Lipscomb University. He was the author of more than 30 books and hundreds of inspirational articles. His commitment to a non-sectarian presentation of the gospel touched countless lives.
Today’s Verse – Acts 4:10-12
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “… It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. … Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” —Acts 4:10-12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! There’s just something about that name!”* The words to the song are right. Salvation from our broken world and our warped nature is found in no one else except Jesus. He is our Savior because he was willing to come to this world, bear our limitations, endure the shame of the cross, carry the weight of our sin, and then triumph over all of it to bring us grace (Philippians 2:6-11). We wholeheartedly agree: “Salvation is found in no one else”! My Prayer… Through the precious name of Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ, my LORD, I thank and praise you, God Most High. Your love provided the sacrifice for my sin. Your power guaranteed my resurrection from the dead. Your Son’s willingness to spend a lifetime with us has given me a Great High Priest who intercedes with empathy for my struggles (Hebrews 2:14-18; Hebrews 4:14-16). His example shows me your great love. Thank you, O Father! Thank you for being so gracious and giving me such a wonderful Savior. Even the very name of Jesus is precious to me! O praise his name and thank you for his grace. Amen. * From the Bill and Gloria Gaither song “There’s Just Something About That Name”All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Dibs
Where are you going to park in Chicago anyway? The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you reside in my land as foreigners and strangers (Leviticus 25:23). Chicago has a fascinating tradition that’s in some ways as much a part of its fabric as the Cubs and Sox, deep-dish pizza, windy winter days, and skyscrapers. It’s a tradition for snowy days during the winter months, when the combination of heavy snow, narrow residential streets, and lots of apartment buildings make parking a challenge. It’s the tradition of putting household items out on the curb to reserve parking places. It works like this. If you park on the street, when the snow plow comes through it pretty much buries your car. Armed with a shovel, you go out into the cold and dig your vehicle out, leaving a nice parking space carved out of the snow bank. The problem, of course, is that the shortest measurable length of time so far discovered by human beings is the time between the moment you pull out of that space and someone else pulls in. (Statisticians estimate that, at any given time, upwards of 20,000 people are driving around Chicago neighborhoods looking for parking. OK, I made that up; but I bet I’m not too far off.) So someone, sometime, came up with the idea of bringing out an old lawn chair to put in his spot until he got home. It’s actually fascinating to notice as you drive through Chicago neighborhoods just what people will use to reserve their spots. I’ve seen floor lamps, couches, bar stools, bookcases, and old tires. Some folks go the utilitarian route and use orange traffic cones. Quite a few use sawhorses with “no parking” signs hanging from them. I’ve seen chairs, coffee tables, and I read about a guy who scatters a couple of boxes of screws and roofing nails in his spot. (It takes him an hour or two to pick them all up – in which time, of course, he could drive around and find another place to park …) I’ve even seen an old toilet. Once, I drove by and saw a kid standing in a freshly dug-out space. I could only assume his parents didn’t have a spare lawn chair or an old toilet. Despite the fact that it isn’t legally possible to own a parking space on the street, no matter how much time you may have spent digging it out, to move someone’s space marker and park in “their” space is to ask for retaliation in the form of a broken windshield, slashed tires, or angry confrontations. And that’s just the elderly grandmother who lives down the street from me. People get possessive about those parking spaces they work hard to dig out – psychotically so. Remember when you were a kid and would call “dibs” on something? It’s like that, only more so. So I sometimes wonder what would happen if someone dug out a space in front of their neighbor’s house, and then reserved it for him. That would just be weird, wouldn’t it? Fly in the face of everything we assume in our world to be right. If you doubt that, try it sometime. I’m guessing that your neighbor won’t know what to say or how to respond. It’s just too strange, just too opposed to the popular notion that says “What’s mine is mine.” There are only so many places to park, after all. If you take “my” space, where will I put “my” car? You can be excused if you haven’t heard much about the Jubilee year in the Old Testament. The Law of Moses decreed that every fiftieth year was to be a year of general amnesty and redemption. Specifically, any sale of property made in the previous fifty years was nullified and the property returned to the family that originally owned it. The purchase price for property, in fact, was supposed to reflect the number of years left until Jubilee. Sounds pretty strange to us, doesn’t it? Keep in mind, property in Israel was assigned by tribe and family, so for there to be equity those tribal possessions needed to remain fairly constant. That was the practical reason for it, but the practical reason rested on the theological one: the land on which Israel lived didn’t belong to Israel at all. It was God’s land, given to them because of his generosity and grace. Every fifty years, they had no choice but to remember it. I can’t begin to imagine the economic implications of something similar to a Jubilee today – though maybe at this point we should be willing to try anything. And, hear me now, I’m not advising you to help yourself to your neighbor’s parking space this winter. Not everyone’s ready to celebrate a Jubilee, you understand. I do think, though, that as God’s people it would do us good to remember that what we own isn’t as much “ours” as we tend to think, and to try to mold our attitudes about “our” stuff accordingly. As the Jubilee laws of ownership remind us, our attitudes won’t be molded if our actions don’t change. As Jesus reminded us, “[W]here our treasure is, there our heart will be also.” If our habits in regard to collecting and keeping stuff look no different than the habits of those who don’t recognize that God is ultimately the owner and bestower of everything we have, then we shouldn’t be surprised when our attitudes begin to reflect theirs, too. In short, if you act like you have “dibs” and take special care to mark off “yours” from “theirs,” it won’t be long until you start to believe it, and God is out of the picture entirely. Maybe what we need, in this land of affluence and opportunity, the birthplace of the American Dream, is a good dose of Jubilee. We – yes, those of us who set such stock
Today’s Verse – 2 Peter 1:5-8
Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. —2 Peter 1:5-8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Wow! What a message. God wants us to be productive in our lives. He wants us to have more than just head knowledge; he wants us to put our knowledge to work in our lives and be effective and productive with it. I’ve got to make a genuine effort to grow in these qualities. While the Holy Spirit is doing God’s work of transforming me to become like Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18) and produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), God wants me to do my part and “make every effort” to grow in these qualities “in increasing measure.” God wants these qualities to be readily seen in my life. I’m ready; how about you? Let’s get after those qualities and begin today. My Prayer… Holy God, we are committed to “making every effort” to grow into your character. Please bless our efforts and receive them as our heartfelt expression of appreciation for your love for us, even when we were undeserving of your grace. You loved and moved to redeem us when we were “helpless,” “ungodly,” “sinners,” and your “enemies” (Romans 5:6-10). We thank you for such loving grace and commit to being productive in our lives of faith so we can bring glory to you. We are determined to live for the praise of the glory of your grace (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14), in the name of Jesus. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
The Viola Player
Can you find harmony in this diversity of sound? Fragments of intensified light burst on his every turn. His costume – made for the spotlight – took every advantage of the barrage. His song was well-chosen. It suited his voice and his look. The audience surged with his presentation. Clearly, the singer was magnificent. Yet, as impressive as his vocal performance, I found my attention drawn to the individuals silhouetted in the side lights. The outline of a string quartet emerged. A violin, a viola, a cello, and … a guitar. This is west Texas, after all. I spent little time considering the guitar player. He was seated further back and it was like he was pulled back into the darkness of a cavern. The notes from the Gibson were dark like him. An essential part of the sound picture, but subdued. Mid-lighted were the other three. I leveled the binoculars and spun the focus ring until the edge of the cello became clear. The cellist bent over his instrument, intent on the sheet music before him as his fingers pressed down on the neck and his bow sailed just above the bridge of the cello. A low tone traced his movements. Far to his left, sat the violinist. Her small, wooden soundbox was perched high between shoulder and chin. Her fingers arched gracefully. The high notes vibrating from her strings pushed through the others. Singular and clear, her music gave a loftiness to the whole experience. Alternately, I considered the cellist and the violinist. His eyes were penetrating and saw nothing beyond his music stand. He shifted in his chair only to bring yet another chime from his repertoire. She, on the other hand, was quite animated. Fingers moving nimbly, her bow energetic. As I watched, first one and then the other, I realized a certain oneness to their performance. While obviously diverse in the notes and instruments they played, their faces could have been interchanged. Brows furrowed in concentration, they plied their craft with little emotion. The throaty song of the viola slowly floated through the air. Tuned a fifth below the violin, the viola has always drawn me with the breadth of its voice. While obviously a harmonic support, tonight the smooth tones surfaced as a melody. I trained the lenses in on the viola player. And my gaze never left her until the lighting director plunged the entire coliseum into darkness. She was different from the others. While the violin and the cello moved splendidly and incessantly, the music from the viola seemed to breathe. And when that breath was taken, the viola player glanced to her left or her right, gaining confidence and inspiration from the music spilling around her. And she smiled. You’ve got to love that. Twenty feet from her, the singer belted his way through a magnificent number. Thirty feet away the sea that was the audience began. Ripples of response to the singer interrupted the surface of that ocean. To her right and left, the violin and the cello were locked into their craft. And the guitar player played from behind her in that cave. Only for me, the crescendos and climaxes of that concert were when she smiled. It was in those small moments that my spirit soared. I was lifted to see someone who drew great enjoyment from the efforts of those around her. The warmth of her smile and the flash of her eyes are still with me. It was as if she was offering her gratitude and congratulations to her colleagues as the measures of music moved on. Strangely, I don’t remember what she looks like. Nor can I picture the spotlighted singer. Or the song he sang. But I remember how the viola player seemed to bloom. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could, like her, celebrate the songs of others even when our own song is superb? Wouldn’t it be grand if we recognized the harmony in the diversity around us … and smiled? How wonderful it is, how pleasant, when brothers live together in harmony! (Psalm 133:1 NLT) About the author: Joey Cope (Dr. Joe L. Cope) is the executive director of the Center for Conflict Resolution at Abilene Christian University. He teaches graduate courses in advanced conflict management, negotiation and mediation. The work of the Center includes mediation/intervention services and educational offerings through seminars, conferences and special courses designed for businesses, non-profit organizations, and churches. Cope is an attorney and received his certificate in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law. Cope is an elder of the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas.
A Visit Over Coffee
Who was she really talking with? She stood behind me in line at the counter of our local coffee merchant – the one tucked into the corner of the neighborhood grocery. I had noticed her a few minutes before as she stood in line to buy a few groceries a couple dozen feet away. It could have been the smile on her face that caused me to notice. But more likely it was the scarf over her head. Picking a small booth at the window, I carefully placed my coffee to the right. I opened the spiral notebook and thumbed through the book. It’s the same book I’ve been reading in about this same spot for the last two weeks. At a rate of only 4 to 5 pages a day, progress is only gradual. The book is about running a small business. I’ve read it before and I have to tell you, it contains some of the best advice I’ve ever seen. And that was my opinion when I read it the first time. Yet, I never acted on it. Sure, I talked about it and I recommended the book to others. But nothing was ever done. As I sat and read and made notes this morning, I heard a voice from the next booth. A woman’s voice, I didn’t turn to see who it was. The conversation became quite lively at times. It was then that I noticed that there was only one voice. As I headed for a refill on my house-blend, I glanced in the neighboring booth. There was the woman with the scarf, her small bag of groceries on the seat across from her and a small cup of coffee resting on the table between her outstretched hands. Her eyes were focused on her groceries and she was vividly describing her plans for her day. From the corner of my eye, I noticed other coffee patrons beginning to pick up their cups and move to tables further away. As I passed by her table again, I looked for evidence of a cell phone. I saw nothing. Her conversation was continuing. As I slid back into my booth, I ignored my book for a while, sipped my coffee and concentrated on her voice. Eavesdropping? I suppose. Yet, she talked loudly and showed no intent for confidentiality. Within a minute, I discovered that the woman in the scarf was talking with her mother. And it seems that after she had gone over her calendar for the day that her mother had said something disagreeable. Thus, the argument. Of course, her mother wasn’t there. It wasn’t a one-sided argument, though. It was obvious when her mother began talking. The tone was different. Finally the woman in the scarf told her mother to mind her own business. And the conversation came to an end. I glanced at my watch, gathered my book and notebook, and stood to leave. I felt the need to speak to the woman in the scarf – to make sure that she had at least one more conversation today. But, when I turned, she was gone. Opportunity lost. Good intentions never acted on. A visit over coffee wasted. I encourage people to engage others. That’s what a community is all about. Sometime today, I truly plan to follow my own advice. Honor Christ and let him be the Lord of your life. Always be ready to give an answer when someone asks you about your hope (1 Peter 3:15 CEV). About the author: Joey Cope (Dr. Joe L. Cope) is the executive director of the Center for Conflict Resolution at Abilene Christian University. He teaches graduate courses in advanced conflict management, negotiation and mediation. The work of the Center includes mediation/intervention services and educational offerings through seminars, conferences and special courses designed for businesses, non-profit organizations, and churches. Cope is an attorney and received his certificate in dispute resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law. Cope is an elder of the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas.
Someday
What are you dreaming about these days? What a picture of blissfulness. In his car seat, he had turned his chubby cheeks to the window to let the sunshine warm him. With his favorite stuffed dolphin cushioning his head, and a baby-blue teddy bear in his arms, he sweetly slipped into a tranquil nap. In his sleep, however, from time to time, we heard tiny little giggles and when we looked back at him, we’d catch a glimpse of a smile for just a second, never opening his eyes. My husband and I laughed quietly as we watched our little boy in his slumber, completely unaware of anything but this peaceful dreamland that he had entered. We turned back around and sat quietly in our thoughts on this beautiful April drive through the country. Then my husband asked me, “What do you think he’s dreaming about?” We joked that he was dreaming about the next bottle of milk. The truth is I really began to ponder that question. What could an 8-month old little boy dream about? After all, he’s been in this world for less than a year. His world consists of cartoons in the morning, naps in the afternoon, and playing with his stuffed animals and toys. So far, that’s all. The spectrum of his thoughts is narrow. He’s very limited on what he could dream about based on what he knows. He’s yet to experience the crash of ocean waves and sand between his toes. He’s never seen a sunset through mountaintops in the west. He doesn’t know what it’s like to pick an apple straight from a tree and taste its pure sweetness. He’s never fallen in love with a beautiful girl or held a newborn puppy in his arms. But … I know he will someday. I felt a pure sense of peace at that moment and I realized that our Heavenly Father had just revealed something precious to me. When I dream at night, He smiles, knowing that there is so much that I haven’t experienced yet. But … He knows that I will someday. I’ll know things that I couldn’t possibly dream about today because my spectrum of thoughts is so very narrow on this earth. I can’t write about them because the words don’t exist yet. But they will. I’ll see all the glory that God has told us about. You’ll see all His glory. He promised. “No mere man has ever seen, heard or even imagined what wonderful things God has ready for those who love the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 2:9) –Kelly Breece Hendersonville, TN About the author: Kelly Breece lives in Hendersonville,Tn. with her husband, Michael, and their two children. She’s worked in television production in Nashville for over 14 years. To read more articles like this, visit Our Morning Cup.