Paul O'Rear -- Friday, January 8, 2010, 1:54 PM (1 Comment)
Categories: Children, Evangelism, Make a Difference, Parenthood, Sharing Your Faith, Tradition
Tags: 2 Timothy, Alice Texas, Amy Lee Bennett, Apostle Paul, Ashley O'Rear, Atlanta Texas, Bible, Church, Ephesians, Eunice, Georgetown Texas, Grace O'Rear, Horace O'Rear, Justin O'Rear, Larry O'Rear, Laws Chapel Cemetery, Lois, Marvin Bennett, Proverbs, Timothy
It was Tuesday, May 17, 1994. The east Texas sun warmed the afternoon air as we buried my 91-year-old grandmother beside her husband in Laws Chapel Cemetery on the outskirts of Atlanta, Texas. Grandpa Horace had preceded her in death by more than 25 years. He had been a faithful gospel preacher during his time. Mama Grace was a diligent student of God’s word, and had taught numerous Bible classes throughout her lifetime. These were my Dad’s parents.
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Paul O'Rear -- Thursday, December 31, 2009, 3:59 PM (No Comments)
Categories: Big Idea, Health, Make a Difference, My Purpose, Resolutions
Tags: 1 Corinthians, 1 John, 1 Thessalonians, FaceBook, Google, Happy New Year!, Harvard School of Public Health, Matthew, Mayo Clinic, Pam Nelson, Proverbs, Psalms, The Heritage Foundation, WebMD
Pam Nelson, a dear friend and high school classmate, recently posted to her Facebook status a thought-provoking list of “to do” items that will make anyone’s life more meaningful. I was intrigued as to the source of the list, so I Googled a few of the list items and found several websites with a nearly-identical list of 39 items, including the items from Pam’s Facebook list. I have edited the list in a few places for increased clarity or meaning, and have included relevant sources where appropriate. I want to share the list with you on the eve of this new year. Some of the list items will resonate with you more than others. That’s OK. Pick and choose the ones that mean the most to you, and resolve to incorporate them into your daily journey. I pray God’s richest blessings on you and yours for a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
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Paul O'Rear -- Thursday, November 12, 2009, 6:59 AM (No Comments)
Categories: Children, Hope, Parables, Parenthood, Rebellion
Tags: Luke, Parables, Prodigal Son, Proverbs, William Barclay
[PART 2 OF 4]
Over the course of the next few posts, we will be exploring the Parable of the Prodigal Son from three different perspectives:
- The perspective of the father
- The perspective of the prodigal son
- The perspective of the older brother
Go ahead and read through the parable again by clicking on the picture of the Bible to the right. Then come back here and continue reading.
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Paul O'Rear -- Monday, November 10, 2008, 12:51 AM (No Comments)
Categories: Meaning of Life
Tags: Apostle Paul, Ashley O'Rear, Christians, Ecclesiastes, Emotions, Joy, Philippians, Proverbs, Repentance, Romans, Solomon, Sorrow
[PART 11 OF 12]
As Solomon chronicles his quest for meaning and purpose in his life, he makes an interesting observation regarding sorrow and joy.
“It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, because a sad face is good for the heart. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure. It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke than to listen to the song of fools. Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless.”
(Ecclesiastes 7:2-6)
Huh? Sorrow is better than laughter? That doesn’t make sense! A sad face is good for the heart? Doesn’t that contradict Proverbs 17:22?
“A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
(Proverbs 17:22, which, by the way, was also written by Solomon)
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