Fifty years ago, a man I’ve never met, Kent Keith, wrote a little booklet in which he included ten “Paradoxal Commandments.” They’ve made their way around the world and have often been separated from their author’s name.

Recently, I had the privilege of meeting with our Connection Group leaders here at Lancaster Baptist Church. Over the years, we’ve called our Connection Groups by various names—Sunday school and Adult Bible Fellowships are two—but whatever they are called, they are a vital part of our church ministry.

I have told the story of my call to preach and Virginia’s response many times. I believe that was the secret of our ministry in Japan and for sixty-two years of ministry together.

Last month I attended the Ohio Independent Baptist Preacher’s Fellowship in Delaware, Ohio. I had the privilege of being one of the preachers at this meeting. It was attended by approximately ninety preachers or full-time ministry workers from across Ohio, and Kentucky. In addition, there were another 150 or so lay people in attendance. The spirit of the meeting was wonderful from beginning to end. I thoroughly enjoyed preaching and attending this meeting. It was a day well spent.

Today we remember. We remember sacrifice. Bravery. Courage. We remember heroes—laid in graves around the world—who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

Fresh strawberry pie would be a perfect dessert to bring to our church dinner so I checked my recipe and started gathering my ingredients. The sweet aroma from the deep-red strawberries filled my kitchen as I pulled out a pie shell, strawberry gelatin, sugar, and an old box of cornstarch.

All children have moments or seasons when they struggle with obedience—just like their parents. But some young people, particularly in their teenage years, become defiant and overtly disrespectful. Why?

For three Saturdays of every year, I am an avid horse racing fan. I am talking about the on-your-knees-pounding-the-floor-yelling-for-your-horse kind of fan. I don’t watch a single horse race the rest of the year, but I absolutely love the Triple Crown!

An article on the front page of a Manila newspaper caught my eye one day when I was at the Iloilo City airport. The story was about a university that was started over 100 years ago. This institution is located on an island not too far from us. Through the years I have met several of their graduates.

When I first became a pastor, I faced fewer administrative responsibilities than I do today. It’s not that my schedule wasn’t full. (In those early days, I preached three times per week, taught Sunday school and soulwinning, and knocked on a minimum of five hundred doors each week as well as following up with guests from services.) It’s just that the week-to-week responsibilities of ministry were primarily sermon preparation and personal outreach and followup.