Robert Noland – Page 13

More Than a Feeling

As a teenager in the 70s, I was totally into the rock music of the day, which is now considered “classic rock.” Why is called that today? Well, because no one has ever made better music than that era since then. One of my sons gave me the original Boston album on vinyl for my […]

The Tough Question of Why?

The start of a new year is a great time to ask ourselves why we do the things we do. It’s the best time to lay everything on the table and ask God what He might want us to keep, to let go of, or grab onto more than ever. The answer to the question […]

Powerful & Personal

[I want to begin with a shout out to Greg Arnold at The Gregory Group for his great work on updating and refreshing my web site. Check it out. Much needed.] Well, it’s that time of year again when Planet Fitness and Weight Watchers want us to trade our money for shed pounds; Home Depot […]

What Are You Going to Do About “It”?

That “thing” you have tried year after year to stop or get rid of—the habit, issue, mindset, stumbling block—why can’t 2016 be the year you delete “it” from your life? That “thing” you keep saying you’ll do one day—why can’t 2016 be the year you finally make “it” a reality? What are you telling yourself […]

Asking the Tough Questions

This week, I’m going to post 3 days of very short, targeted challenges as we all evaluate our 2015 and plan toward 2016. Here’s the first one that I’ve asked several men this year as they were evaluating their future against God’s calling on their life. I have certainly been answering this question for the […]

The Man Who Raised God’s Son

There is one figure that tends to be undervalued and overlooked in the Nativity, yet is crucial to the story. Jesus had an earthly father—Joseph. Imagine for a moment being chosen to raise God’s only Son. The story begins when his fiancée comes to him saying an angel has appeared to her and that God […]

Righteously Irreligious

Imagine for a moment that you’re a shepherd in the B.C. days. It’s just another cold, lonely, pitch-dark night, sitting by the fire, watching the sheep. Suddenly, a blinding light pierces through the blackness and you’re face to face with an angel. He sees the terror in your eyes, knows you are thinking he has […]

The Villain of Christmas

This week, I’m re-posting a series of articles on the key characters of the Christmas story. If you need some devotional material for family gatherings, feel free to use these. This first person is never found in manger scenes or in the painted depictions of peaceful Bethlehem, but his violent presence was definitely on full […]

Dysfunctional Family Functions

Well, December is always busy, but it’s about to get downright crazy. One of the great stressors around Christmas is extended family. Strained and broken relationships, unresolved conflicts, unforgiveness, and well, just that yuck feeling in the pit of your stomach around certain people. You walk in holding your breath waiting on Uncle Ralph or […]

Well, If We Don’t Do It …

In an article USA Today ran last week on the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, they printed a conversation between Charles Schulz, the Peanuts creator, Lee Mendelson, the executive producer, and Bill Melendez, the animation director, from when they were planning this production. Schulz brought up the idea of Linus reciting the passage […]