Tommy Mann

Falling in love with someone often feels out of our control, something that just happens to us. I’ll never forget the first time I met Alicia. It was like a scene from a Hallmark movie when she tripped over my foot and turned around to apologize. We hit it off right away as if we were struck by Cupid’s arrow.   Similarly, I’ll never forget the birth of our children, especially our firstborn. Reagan (who somehow turns 16 this week!) came via an emergency C-section, so we were in the OR when the nurses handed us this tiny baby that made us parents. I was instantly smitten with a kind of parental love I didn’t know before. Those things just happen to us. These were not choices we made. Loving my kids was not a wait and see thing where I chose to love them if they were well behaved or made good grades. It was almost out of my control.  When the New Testament speaks of Christians showing love, it uses that famous word  agape  that describes a choice we make to put the nee...

1 John 1:7 says, “But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”     The blood of Jesus is that special ingredient that can make all the difference in our lives.   Without the blood, we are doomed to a joyless existence in life, and separation from the Father in the afterlife. With the blood, we are put on a path that leads to meaningful life now and eternal life with the Father.  John did not say it is religious effort, good deeds, trying hard, or behavior modification that cleanses us from sin. No, it is only because of the blood we can be made righteous.  I was walking in the darkness, but now I’m in the light;                                          ...

  In 1 Samuel 4 we are introduced to a child with the unfortunate name of Ichabod, which essentially means the glory of the Lord had left Israel. As his mother was dying in childbirth she bestowed the ominous name on her son: “And she named the child Ichabod, saying, ‘The glory has departed from Israel!’ because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband (v.21).” Her husband, one of the priests, had died during a battle in which Israel was defeated and the ark of the covenant was stolen by the Philistines. When news reached the prophet Eli, her father-in-law, he fell over died after suffering a broken neck. The glory of the Lord was gone, and not just because the ark was stolen. The ark was stolen because the glory of the Lord was already gone. The prophet and priests were corrupted, and the people were not walking with the Lord, so the Lord left. That is a dark chapter in Israel’s history, but it isn’t the final one. Describing the birth of J...

I read about a commuter named Dean Niferatos who was riding the transit bus in Chicago. It was the middle of the afternoon and most of the passengers seemed out of it, tired from a day of work, shopping, or running errands. Some of the people had their eyes closed and were trying to get a few minutes of rest.   At one particular stop three people boarded the bus. They must have been frequent patrons of this bus because the driver recognized them immediately and made an announcement to the other riders: “Everybody watch your valuables. Some pickpockets just got on board.” The trio didn’t hesitate, but jumped right back off the bus. The driver’s warning got everyone’s attention, as they began to clutch their briefcases and shopping bags, pulling them closer to their person.  If we aren’t careful we can become like those travelers, lulled to sleep by the sounds of the city, feeling safe and secure. We nod off, leaving our valuables exposed to any would-be bandits who can execute ...

  In Washington State a 17-year-old would be thief decided to vandalize a Louis Vuitton store. This was going to be his first heist, so perhaps he was a little nervous. Security cameras caught the whole thing: the masked teenager frantically grabbing as many of the high-priced bags as he could, stuffing them into a larger bag, and then bolting for the exit. That’s when he made a critical mistake that led to his capture. He sprinted towards the glass doors that stood between him and a clean getaway, but he ran into the doors. Either he didn’t see the glass (hats off the to the custodian) or he thought it would open automatically. Either way, he ran into the glass so hard that he knocked himself unconscious, and was still out cold when the police came and cuffed him.  This young man fell into his own trap. He was so focused on making a speedy exit that he literally ran into the exit. And of course, if he weren’t breaking the law, he would not have had any problems.  In the ...

The Florida Gators put together a memorable March Madness tournament as they clinched the national championship. Although they were ranked as a #1 seed, they trailed in multiple games late in the second half, including being down 6 to UConn, 9 to Auburn, and 12 to Houston in the final game.   During the final media timeouts, which occurs when there are four minutes left, Florida seemed to find another gear in the form of senior guard Walter Clayton, Jr. Clayton stepped up throughout the tournament, making big shot after big shot. He was the epitome of clutch, the guy you want to have the ball in his hands when time is running out and you need a big play.  The team had confidence in Clayton because he had confidence in himself. He is only human, and will certainly miss shots in the future, but I can’t help but think about someone who is even more faithful.  Speaking of the Lord in Psalm 91, the anonymous author said, “He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings...