Sterling Griggs

Many of you who read this are probably stuck at home after the snow storm like I am. Here in the south, when it snows it paralyzes us. That's because we lack the trucks and scrapers to clear the roads, not to mention that there are very few of us who know how to drive in this stuff. Just because you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle doesn't mean you are an expert snow driver (just check to see how many of them you see stranded in ditches). Like everyone else we stocked up on food before the storm hit - you know, milk, bread and eggs so that like everyone else we could make French toast. Snug in our home watching the snow fall, we were set with all that we needed. The first day is pretty fun because the snow is new and fresh and the kids can play until they are all tired out. Then you get to the next day and the day after that. School gets canceled and you can't really go anywhere because only the main roads are passable and the road in your neighborhood is still treachero...

Matthew 7:1-6 is one of those passages of Scripture that people like to pull out when they don't want you involved in their business, specifically Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." I've seen tattoos that say "Only God can judge me". Cries of "Who are you to judge me?" or "You're being so judgmental!" are heard when people think that you are treating their choices unfairly. So what does it mean to judge? According to Jesus, when you become a judge over other people then you have set yourself up in a position of authority above them. If you've ever been in a court of law, you know that it is the judge who has the final say on how the law is interpreted and applied. If you are found guilty then you will be punished. If you are not guilty, your name will be cleared. When Jesus told us not to judge others He was warning us against forming our own opinions about others and then holding it against them. ...

I have a great view that I pass on the way to my office. I pass a field where there is a clear view of Pilot Mountain in the distance (although you can't tell from this photo), and this morning its top was shrouded in clouds. The fields were saturated today because last night's rain brought at least 3 inches of rain out where I work, sending rivers and creeks over their banks. The Yadkin River impressed me the most. It had almost crested its banks and the fields that flank it had turned into giant ponds. The river itself was a dark muddy orange color, filled with debris that it was rushing downstream away from where it was picked up. It was as if nature was being cleansed of trash and junk. As I took in these sights I couldn't help but think of the way that we are cleansed from the pollution of sin in our lives. Psalm 51 is a beautiful passage of Scripture that describes in graphic detail the desperation that king David felt over the need to know God's forgiveness and c...

I hate vomit. The smell of it is almost more than I can stand. I spent several years as a paramedic and saw all sorts of grotesque sites, but nothing that I saw affected me like the smells did. Gross. So it is only fitting that the past couple of days I have had to help clean up vomit in my house as three of my four kids (and the fourth will probably start anytime now) have been throwing up. My wife is always by my side in cleaning up messes, but this time she has been afflicted by the same bug. So I've spent a good part of my day cleaning up unspeakable messes and steam cleaning parts of our carpet. It was about the same time just over a year ago where this same scenario played out in my family with me being the only one well enough to clean up all the mess. Cleaning up the vomit of someone else is certainly a labor of love. No one truly enjoys doing it but how awful would it be if we were left to lie in our own junk all day if no one would help us clean it up? Imagine how...

If you even are remotely aware of politics in America then you know how passionate many are about politics and the parties to which they belong. Many (perhaps most) are blinded to their own viewpoints to the point that they will back their candidate no matter the mistakes he/she makes. Moveon.org, a very liberal group, absolutely hated George W. Bush, but with Obama in office over a year now and things in our country no better, they are amazingly quiet. Two people can look at the same image and see two completely different things. Such is the science of politics. I am not writing this blog about politics. Sure, I have my own opinions just like everyone else, but I make it a point not to dive too deep into political issues. It's been said that at the dinner table you never should talk about religion or politics, but since this is my table I will still continue to discuss religious issues. Specifically, I am fascinated with the role that religion tries to play with politics. T...

Being late is one of those things in life that I detest very much. God surely knows this, which is why He gave to me such a large family that would rarely be on time for anything. Actually, the ship runs fairly smooth in our home with all of the kids that we have to get ready. When we do run behind it's because Kellie and I are the last ones to get ready after everyone else is taken care of. Beyond my family, I hate to be late for other things as well. If I tell you that I will be somewhere by a certain time, I stress if I can't make that time. Just this morning we were late getting out the door on the way to get the kids to school and then we hit the massive drop off line in front of the school. My goal: Get them to the door before 8:20 so they didn't have to get a tardy note. Result: Drop off occurred at 8:18, therefore mission accomplish and note avoided. All of this semi-obsession with promptness can lend itself to impatience. If you know me well then you are pr...

Have you ever been thinking about someone and then suddenly they show up at your home or you run into them at the store? Or maybe your car breaks down right in front of a mechanic's shop. When these kinds of things happen we often refer to them as coincidence or chance or maybe even fate, feelings as if luck has smiled upon us. But are chance and coincidence really how things happen in our lives? Doesn't God, by His divine providence, have a say in all that happens to us? Not only does God have a say in all things but there is nothing that occurs apart from His knowledge or permission. In other words, God isn't surprised by anything that happens in this world and is never caught off guard. (I won't go into my thought on the tragedy in Haiti but for a really great read on where God was when the earthquake struck Haiti, let me urge you to read this article by Dr. Al Mohler . It is worth the 10 minutes it will take you to read it). What is chance? We might think of ...