Where there are many dishes there are many mouths; many to love, serve, and provide for. And more than that, God delights to dirty those dishes day in and day out with all manner of provisions and patrons. Clean dishes are fine and well and good for decoration, but far better they be filled and dirtied with food, no matter how simple.

“You’re going to be a dad soon!” With our son’s due date swiftly approaching, I find that Elaina and I are being told more and more these days how we’re going to become parents in a few short weeks.

The story goes that a woman once approached George Whitefield after one of his sermons and said something to the tune of, “Now, I enjoy your sermons as much as the next person, but why must you always keep on saying, ‘Ye must be born again!’?” Without skipping a beat, Whitefield looked the woman in the eyes and thundered: “Because ye must be born again!”