Robert Noland – Page 16

Graduation Gift—for You

Some of our close friends’ son graduated from high school last week. After I wrote a message to him in his card, I read it and thought to myself, “It’s great to issue these inspirations and challenges to an 18-year-old, but why don’t we ever say this to a 26 year-old, a 44 year-old, a […]

Earn vs Owe

If you and I are friends and you can tell I am constantly trying to do things to win your approval and earn your friendship, how are you going to feel about me? Likely a little weird, right? If you and I are friends and I regularly do things to express my appreciation for our […]

Half a Bubble Off

My wife and I just completed a do-it-yourself back yard makeover project. One of the additions was to build a bench that required stones to be built up on each end about four to five feet high. The main rocks we chose were rough-cut stones, but the topper rock was smooth and flat. When I […]

Filters & Lenses

If you’ve ever watched a pro photographer at work, he has various lenses and filters he changes out to achieve certain shots and get specific looks to capture a moment. When we communicate, we often function much like a photographer. We apply filters and lenses, depending on the person, situation, and even our own attitude […]

Time vs Money

How do you view God’s grace? As time or money? Let me explain … Time is the same gift for everyone, we live in its midst, and we start every day with a brand new supply without doing anything to gain it. Money is a resource we have to earn, is constantly being spent and […]

Just Give me a Sign

During a walk in our neighborhood, I passed a home with a decorative sign in the front flower bed with fancy script which read “He is Risen!” I then glanced toward the back yard where I saw a fence with another sign—an unattractive black and orange, block-lettered “Beware of Dog!” The thought immediately struck me […]

Point vs Purpose

We can simply make a living. Or we can make a life. One gets work done for us to survive another day. The other does work to help others thrive throughout their days. One is about us doing what someone expects us to do. The other is about being whom God has created and called […]

Choose Up

Remember playing football or basketball in grade school at recess and doing the whole captains picking the team thing? “I take Johnson.” “I get Mahoney.” “I’ll take Sims.” If you were good, you enjoyed the process. If you stunk, it was painful. Those sandlot captains chose based on one standard: athletic skill—the longer it took […]

The 3 R’s of Explosive Safety

My family on my mom’s side has some ranch property in central Texas. Back in the 40’s, the government took it over for a while to train combat troops. To this day, there are a few old bunkers still there, which in Texas, probably means they’re great rattlesnake dens now. I received a letter recently […]

Contagious vs Clinical

Having one son not far out of college and another one currently enrolled, I have heard my fair share about professors—good and bad. Sunday night, my younger son and I were discussing the teachers he has this semester. For one particular difficult science course, he has a very pro-active teacher, highly rated by students, classes […]