Evil has a time limit, and its clock is running down. I recently read two fiction books about corrupt church leaders. They both touched on the disappointment in the hearts of those who find so much hypocrisy in the church. Though fiction, the theme addresses the reality of the times. A non-fiction book, Shepherds for …
Cold Wax
My husband found an adorable little gallery in a small town down the road from us. Beautiful, handmade gifts line the shelves, with stained glass suncatchers painting colors all over the room. Before we left, we bought two soy candles that boasted of air-cleaning capabilities on the sign above them. He picked his favorite scent, …
Replace Anxiety with Fear
There is no doubt that anxiety has taken over our culture. According to “The Anxious Generation,” anxiety is not relegated to America alone, but to every culture where the pocketed smartphone is the norm. Though not written from a Christian worldview, the author’s research highlights the increasing levels of depression and anxiety in the …
Christians and Politics: A Bible Study for Changing Times
If you have ever had a prodigal child, it can be excruciating to watch him speed one hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction toward a wreck you can see miles ahead. You may plead, warn, yell, even forcibly detain, but his heart is bent toward his way, and nothing will stop him. As …
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Reframing Past Trauma
Trauma is part of living in a sin-filled world. Trauma can take the form of events seemingly small or catastrophic. For children, small experiences never discussed could leave fearful questions in their minds that follow them into adulthood. Trauma lingers when it remains unresolved and unhealed. Symptoms of lingering trauma might take the form of …
Use the Last Straw to Light the Sacrifice
Have you heard Christian comedian and singer Mark Lowry's story about how he knew when his mother had ENOUGH? If you need a laugh, you can find it here. Mark wished for a ten-second warning for when Mama had enough. It is a light-hearted look from a child’s perspective, but every mother can …
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Aligning With the Enemy or Overcoming Him?
The enemy wins when we engage others with his own tactics. Angry, hateful accusations tread on his territory. Election season must be a fruitful season for his work to be accomplished, but no special occasion is necessary. Gossip, criticism, and disrespectfulness can become daily habits in our homes and churches. Election season will just magnify …
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Meditations in the Fire’s Forging
Real faith upends the pre-conceptions of who Jesus is from the tiny box of human expectation and understanding. The apostle Peter and the other eleven walked the crucible of disappointment as Jesus revealed Himself to the world, not as the reigning Messiah, but as the suffering Servant. Those three black days of Jesus’ silent occupation …
Jesus and the Social Gospel
I have been doing a lot of reading for an upcoming research paper, which includes objectively addressing the opposition to my topic of abortion. Surprisingly, I have found that many Christian denominations support abortion because it can alleviate poverty. As I have read their Biblical arguments, one author quoted a verse that Jesus used to …
Intentionally Thinking on Jesus
Do your thoughts ever seem to get locked in the negative? Critical, anxious, painful thoughts that swirl over and over in your mind? It takes intentionality to redirect those thought patterns. I was listening to a podcast about a woman who lost her daughter as a teenager. She and her family knew the Lord, but …
His Song in the Night 