Tom Allen

The other day I was with my family and my youngest son just wasn't himself.  I asked if he was feeling bad.  He just said he was tired.  No reason to be, just tired.  He wasn't himself.  He was quiet, withdrawn, never smiling, little response to anything.  We thought he might be sick.  But, I kept probing. (it's what I do)  Are you sick?  Are you worried about something?  Are you stressed?  He didn't think so, but then again he didn't know what stress felt like. I remember those days.  I used to think stress was something other people had.  Mainly, I just didn't know what stress felt like.  That, and I didn't know that the source of stress wasn't from just negative stimuli.  We accumulate a certain amount of stress points for the death of a loved one or the birth of a child.  Stress can just as easily come from losing a job or  from getting a new one. Let's see:  He's about to start a new job, sign his first mortgage and buy a replacement for

OK, so it's no secret...I love cactus!  I have a cactus garden in my back yard.  Of course, with a pool, some people think I've lost it.  But, when everyone else's petunias are wilting and burning up, my cacti are soaking up the sun and loving it. One item in my garden is blue agave.  These are beautiful succulents that have those blue-green leaves.  I love them.  However, they have been a frustration to me.  What I want for my garden is for them to get big.  However, that doesn't seem to be their priority.  Rather than putting all their energies into growing themselves, they prefer to put their energy into making more blue agaves.  They are constantly "pupping"...sending out shoots that will become new agaves.  Frustrating to this gardener, but teaching a great lesson. I'm only a part-time cactus gardener, but a full-time pastor.  I like cactus, but I love Christ-followers.  However, the frustration that I have with Christ-followers is exactly the opp