Dear Louisiana College family: My first day as president has arrived, and I can think of only a few events in my life that reflect the impact this next adventure God has before me. Coming to saving faith in Jesus, meeting and marrying Cathy, having children and grandchildren all were momentous and meaningful occasions. Becoming the 9th president of Louisiana College, however, is the beginning of another chapter in this life that has prepared me for the challenges and victories the future has for every stakeholder of Louisiana College. The role of president opens a new destination for me, but behind me are the familiar paths of a collegiate community and academic accomplishment, all of which are God’s blessings. I am humbled. I am blessed. In light of recent history, perhaps some may wonder why I accepted the helm of the college. In responding to the unanimous vote of our trustees I also yielded to God’s call upon my life. This gives me peace about the past and assurance for the future. Another confidence builder in what lies ahead is Louisiana College’s remarkable student body. I have met scores of our students personally. And in their bright eyes and engaging smiles I sense the weight of responsibility every one of us has for … [Read more...]

God will never give you more than you can handle. I’m sure many, if not all, of us have heard this said before. Maybe we have even said it ourselves. This is often the “go to” reply to try to comfort anyone who is going through a difficult situation, has suffered some sort of loss, or has a major decision to make. I can’t help but wonder though, is this true? Does this align with what we see in scripture? Is it true that God will never give us more than we can handle? Abraham was put into a situation he could not handle when he was promised that he would be the father of many nations. The age of Sarah and Abraham made it virtually impossible for them to be able to have any children naturally. An important detail in being the father of many nations is that you need to be able to produce offspring! They further proved their inability to handle the situation by showing a lack of faith in the promise of God. God had promised that an heir would come through Sarah. Knowing the impossibility of this, they tried to take matters into their own hands and Abraham had a son with Sarah’s servant; a decision that would have consequences for generations to come, including our present time. It is clear they were dealing with something they … [Read more...]

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (BP) – Our nation once rode the wave of expansive optimism and blessed economic prosperity. Now we appear to be trying to find our place in line with the long list of mediocre economies that were corrupted by greed, injustice and violations of biblical conscience. Yet, in the scheme of things we are still immensely blessed in comparison to the rest of the world. According to GlobalRichList.com, U.S. income of just $2,000 per month places you in the top 2.24 percent of the wealthiest people in the world. That is $12.50 per hour compared to the average laborer in Zimbabwe who makes only 53 cents per hour. In a year an American worker might make $24,000. It would take the average laborer in Zimbabwe 23 years to make the same amount. Historically, our nation’s birth and prosperity demonstrated to the world the importance of freedom of conscience and personal responsibility. These are two high values in the Word of God that are worthy of acceptance by every citizen. To echo the words of the Lord Jesus when He spoke the parable of the talents to His followers, “Everyone to whom much is given, of him much will be required” (Luke 12:48 ESV). The Lord Jesus didn’t make this statement to simply fill the room with … [Read more...]