In 2007 my theme verse was “Be still” from Psalm 46:10a. The best words to describe this year are REST and FAMILY. In December 2006, in obedience to the Holy Spirit and in faith I stepped away from my easiest, most enjoyable, and highest paying anesthesia job to take a year of Sabbath rest. While at times I’ve done a poor job at resting, I now realize God used this year to transition me in my career from a clinical anesthesiologist to an Internet marketing specialist and Christian life coach.

You will fulfill your mission by serving your wife! – Holy Spirit
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)
What does it mean to serve my wife?
While Diana Gonzalez was speaking during the very first hour of the two day Life Focus workshop in Virginia Beach on November 15, the Holy Spirit gave me one of the …

 “Love seems the swiftest, but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.” Mark Twain
Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her, and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life….When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule when she gives instructions. She carefully watches all …

“Idolatry always leads to immorality.” – Rev. Mark Jarvis
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” (Luke 14:26)
What idols do I have in my life?
The purpose of these devotionals is to bless you and your family – to change your life – hopefully so you will bless other people and their families. These messages are intended to help build solid, Christ-centered homes.
Living in America, it’s nearly impossible not …

The truth found in the Bible offers hope and so much more. Your dedication to God’s Word is something we are grateful for. – excerpt from Pastor Poem
Every time I think of you, I give thanks to God (Philippians 1:3)
What gift can I give my pastor in October to have a lasting benefit?
What choice will I make to catapult my pastor to a new level of effectiveness?
October is National Pastor Appreciation Month. Pastors are a lot like physicians in that they have high stress jobs dealing with life and death …

“Love is something you give, not something you buy.” – Brent Henderson
“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
What will be the cost of saying “YES” to a relationship, and “NO” to something good, but not best?
If love is spelled TIME, what and who gets your love?
In yesterday’s devotional, I shared about Jeff and Jill Williams, cofounders of Grace and Truth Relationship Education. I promised to bless you by sharing their Sep 4 devotional titled “Love is Spelled TIME.” Here it is, …

Sin is like a roller coaster ride. Once you get on, there’s no getting off until the ride is over.
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
What does God consider sexually immoral?
In chapter 24 of The Power of a Praying Parent titled “Rejecting Sexual Immorality,” Stormie Omartian says, “Next to catastrophic injury, death, and eternal hell, sexual immorality is the most dreaded possibility for our children’s lives. That’s because the results …

Every Christian is a minister and labor is worship! – Ed Silvoso
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. (Genesis 2:15)
How much of a role do the prayers of parents play in the development of good work ethics in their children?
In the Fall of 2005 when my son Robbie started college in the Engineering School at the University of Virginia, I began praying regularly that he would develop a good work ethic. He had never had a regular …

My identity comes from who I am – a child of God – not from what I do or what I have!
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:14)
Who are you?
Where do you find your identity?
What is your assignment?
For 23 years (1983-2006), I worked as a physician. Since Caren (my daughter) was born in 1985, I had always been a doctor to her until December 2006 when I stopped practicing anesthesia. When people used to ask what I did, Caren had a simple answer. “Doctor” was …

We create a world for ourselves by the words we speak!
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63b)
What goals do you have regarding your physical health?
Who is holding you accountable to those?
For years, I told Caren (my daughter) that some day she would compete in triathlons. Caren’s response to me was always “Never!” However, Julia (my wife) and I both loved doing triathlons and modeled that for her. In fact, when Caren was one year old, I used to put her in a …