Tom Allen

Recently, I ran across some sage advice for making marriage work. Honestly, as I read through this list of 25 Things, I have to admit, I was mostly looking for the ones that were unnecessary and I could cut out. I mean, who can remember 25 Things ? My problem was that I couldn't find anything to cut out. The bottom line is, marriage is complicated. Marriage is hard work. Marriage is totally counterintuitive to any two sinful, selfish, self-centered, self-willed people (That's all of us, by the way...yes, even you. Especially YOU!) From a purely secular, logical standpoint, this just doesn't work on paper. The math is all wrong. All it requires for success is for two selfish people to live selflessly together, putting the other selfish person ahead of ourself in the pecking order. No problem, right? More like no possibility. But, we fail to add to the equation our God who specializes in making the IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE. Turning the RIDICULOUS into the OBVIOUS. Nowhere is t...

The last time I sat down to write was the day before I went in to have spinal cord surgery. I shared my fears, as well as my trust. Well, I'm happy to share with you that my surgery went absolutely as planned. As soon as I started to come out of the sedation, I wiggled my fingers and wiggled my toes and they both wiggled. Then, I did my little "happy dance" (invisible, internal edition) and smiled wryly.  It was a good moment. It was a VERY good moment. So, what did I learn from this experience. It might not be what you'd expect (it certainly isn't what I expected), but I'm glad you asked. 1.  If God can't slow me down long enough to get my attention, He will lay me down, by any means necessary. The Bible says that our God is a jealous God. We struggle with understanding exactly what that means. The problem is that we hold jealousy in such a negative light. And, how can you attribute a negative characteristic on to a perfect and holy God? When His Wor...

THE DAY BEFORE SURGERY 6/28/2016 Tomorrow's a big day for me.  After years of doctor visits and tests of every size, shape, type and ilk, it has been determined that my neck is a mess.  That's the Bad News.  The Good News is they found it before I lost all use of my limbs.  That's the road I was on. Left untreated would lead to quadriplegia. That's one of those words that when it comes out of your doctor's mouth, you don't hear much else of what he has to say after that.  You are emotionally caught, like a fish on a hook, stuck with your stomach somewhere in your throat.  You're never prepared for that one. Anyway, tomorrow it will be addressed.  I'm having, as my doctor is so quick to point out, "spinal cord surgery". No, not neck surgery. It may look like neck surgery.  That's the region where they'll be operating. But, the reality is that it's all about the spinal cord. I've known for a few weeks this is what's goin...

We woke up Sunday morning to have our world rocked once again to another senseless massacre of individuals in the name of something.  We are angry.  We are afraid.  We want action.  We want a place to assign blame.  We want someone to "fix this". Is there anything that we can learn from this "most recent" bloody reminder of the world we live in?  I would hope so.  Let me suggest a few things that we, especially Christ-followers, should take away. 1.  We should be no less outraged at the loss of life because this happened at a homosexual establishment.   Some of you may wonder why I even mentioned that.  Some of you completely understand.  Some...in the name of God (sadly...very sadly)...would have the audacity to say, "Well, you reap what you sow".  I'm curious...were you saying that after Columbine as well?  How about after the shooting of school children in Sandy Hook?  Same thing?   I think not. QUI...

In case you are unaware, Dr. John Kelly is the Superintendent of Schools for Pearland ISD.  Recently, he, and other Houston suburban superintendents were asked about the mandate sent down from President Obama requiring all school districts in America to allow any transgender student to be allowed to use the restroom or locker room, not of their biological sex, but of whatever sex they "identified with".  Here were his comments. " When the Supreme Court re-defined marriage and invented new constitutional rights, the door was opened for re-defining all social norms, now including Executive Branch dictates about bathroom and locker room rules in local schools," he said. "A hostile vocal minority now rules in America aided by an apathetic, unengaged   majority. What's next? Legalizing pedophilia and polygamy? Unless we return to the Biblical basis on which our nation's laws were established, we are in serious trouble — and cannot expect God's con...

Right now, we're doing the NEXT GENERATION PROJECT .  (It's a Capital Fund-Raising Campaign. Yes, I hate the sound of those words too.  Rates right up there with a visit to your friendly proctologist.) Anyone who's done church work for more than a week knows you need a few BIG gifts.  That's a reality.  But, the majority of the provision will always come from lots of small gifts.  However, I think sometimes people don't get that.  They think, " I don't have a lot of money.  I could only give a little.   It really wouldn't make any real difference , so I'll just leave it to the folks with the big wallets".   This just amazes me.  I guess people just haven't read that Bible thing.  Or, maybe their pastor failed to teach it to them. (that would be me) If that attitude was pervasive throughout the scriptures, my oh my, how different things would have been.  David would have said, "Dudes, all I've got is 5 small stones.  Ha...

GET MESSY Last Sunday, I talked about  COMPASSION  with our church.  I talked about how we, as a society, have become compassionately-challenged.  Much of our compassion has been reduced to clicks of a mouse at our computer.  “ I’m so sorry”.  “I’ll be praying for you”. (whether we do or don’t is another issue…but we mean well)  Or the best one of all, (I say this extremely tongue in cheek)  “Let me know if there’s anything I can do”.   Seriously?   That’s the best we got?    Sadly, it oftentimes…most times is. OK, OK, so we agree we’re compassionately-challenged.  In fact, I am the chief of sinners in this particular instance.  So, we’ve taken the first step.  We’ve come out of denial and admitted we have a problem.  Good.  But, that’s not the solution…just the first step to finding a solution.  I think the problem may go a little deeper. ...

I spent a half day Monday and a half day Tuesday at a Pastor's Prayer Summit at Camp Pine Cove this week.  Here's what I came away with... 1.  There are 5,000 churches in the Greater Houston area.  Every pastor from every church was invited.  285 came.  Pastor's praying with other pastors for our city is not a big priority. 2.  I met Korean pastors, Nigerian pastors, Vietnamese pastors, Japanese pastors, hispanic pastors, black pastors, urban pastors, suburban pastors, pastors that I had no idea where they came from.  Houston is the most ethnically diverse city in America.  So are it's pastors and churches. 3.  When everyone in the room is seriously worshipping God with every ounce of their being, the Holy Spirit shows up.  It's really not about how good the music is or the song selection.  When people don't care if they like the songs or not and only care about worshipping God through whatever is sung, something big happens. ...

Everyone deals with change...and everyone deals with change differently.  Even those of us who claim to like change recognize that it is difficult and stressful.  Recently, I read through the 2nd chapter of Acts.  Talk about CHANGE!  This little rag-tag group of Jesus-followers suddenly at Pentecost and immediately after were faced with massive change and the choice of how to deal with it...or not to deal with it. Just like there are Stages of Grief we go through, I believe there are Stages of Change we go through as well.  Maybe not as obvious or recognized, but still very real.  I thought it might be helpful to identify them and call them what they are. STAGE 1:  REALIZATION ...that the STATUS QUO is no longer a viable option.  Business as usual, whether in marriage or family or business or one's spiritual life is being challenged and "the way things were" is no longer acceptable.  We need change. STAGE 2:  RECOGNITION ...that ch...