Reflections on God … Man … Life
This past week a new academic year began. I always enjoy the beginning of a new year. It can be that way when you believe you have a calling from God to do what you’re doing. I’ve used this blog on a number of occasions to express my gratitude for the opportunity I have to teach at Southeastern University, where I can provide a Biblical basis for every course and analyze American history through that Biblical lens. For me, there… Read more »
The last paper is graded; the semester is over. That’s a good feeling. Breaks are always welcome, but I truly do live for the teaching ministry God has given me. I love the beginning of a school year, and there’s always something special about commencements. This is Southeastern’s commencement this year; it occurred last Friday. For the first time we had to rent a larger facility to hold everyone. I’m on the stage in the distance, but don’t bother trying… Read more »
Yesterday at Southeastern University was a good day. My department brought in as a special speaker Dr. Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of World magazine, which serves as an excellent commentary on current events from a Biblical perspective. We kept Dr. Olasky quite busy. In the morning, he delivered a message in chapel that focused on how to analyze issues through a Biblical lens, showing that there are gradations in how directly the Scriptures apply to various situations. Some are obvious—abortion, homosexuality—while… Read more »
The university where I teach, Southeastern, each year holds a Forum where leaders in various fields—Christian ministry, business, and politics—come and share their approach to leadership. It attracts well-known leaders, and is quickly becoming a heralded annual event. I attended most of the sessions last week and came away inspired by the stories and principles the speakers communicated. One of this year’s speakers was Franklin Graham, son of the famous evangelist. For those who don’t know, Graham not only oversees… Read more »
Yesterday was a banner day for Southeastern University, where I teach. It was Constitution and Citizenship Day, a day set aside to remind students of the value of our constitutional form of government. To commemorate the signing of the Constitution [which was 223 years ago this week], we had as our special speaker former attorney general of the United States John Ashcroft. Mr. Ashcroft first spoke in chapel, showing a rare mix of genuine humor and a clear grasp of… Read more »
On the morning of September 11th, 2001, I was on my way to Patrick Henry College where I was a professor of history. Before arriving at the college, I stopped at a gas station. One of the other customers came up to me and informed me in a rather vague way that a plane had hit a building in New York City. I have to admit that didn’t sound all that bad to me—I assumed it was a small plane,… Read more »
John Ashcroft was Attorney General of the United States when 9/11 occurred. In that position, he was the man primarily responsible for making sure it didn’t happen again. What a heavy burden to bear. Congress passed the Patriot Act, and Ashcroft’s task was to ensure it was carried out faithfully yet cautiously, keeping in mind the rights of American citizens. In my opinion, he acted maturely in his efforts to deter terrorism while maintaining basic freedoms. Yesterday, I had the… Read more »