safety net
A friend of mine bought a trampoline for his young boys. After he had assembled it, his sons excitedly begged him to let them give it try. He reluctantly let them climb onto it but told them to be careful because he hadn’t installed the safety net around the trampoline. So his boys cautiously crept to the middle of the…
our own making?
As a teacher, I find the Middle Ages to be both fascinating and disconcerting. A fixed pillar of the literary canon, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales vividly shows the reliance of humanity on the outward practices at the expense of the inward heart.
In my 21st-century, biblically literate mind, I wonder how people could become so dependent on having relics for their…
child guide
According to UNICEF, 4 million newborns die each year within their first month of life and 8.8 million die before their first birthday. Nineteen million infants in the developing world are born underweight and 148 million children under age 5 suffer malnutrition. There are 101 million children who aren’t attending primary school and 2 million living with HIV. These huge…
ask who? how?
“You will seek and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found in you, and bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations" (Jeremiah 29:13-14).
When we think of Jeremiah chapter 29, the verse we typically think of is verse 11: "For I know the plans I have for…
stand on the Word
Ecclesiastes 4:12: A triple-braided cord is not easily broken.
During each election year we’re reminded that there is power in unity or agreement. The more people walk in agreement, the more confidence they’ll have that their endeavor will be successful. If this is true in the natural, how much greater do you suppose it is in the spiritual? Paul teaches us…
the only way?
Meryl Streep played a nun in the movie Doubt, so, of course, she was asked her opinion on religion. She answered that the teachings of various religions “form a kind of fence that divides us from each other,” and that as a mother “I deeply resent the idea that if you’re not a member of a church, temple, ashram, synagogue…
justice
Genesis 3:6-11: The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. At that moment their eyes were opened,…
even better
The text message from my brother was terse: “Dad just passed away. Come to ward now.”
My 84-year-old father had vacillated between life and death for 2 months. He finally took his final breath. Dad had lost his battle with cancer, and losing him deeply saddened me. And yet I also rejoiced, for he hadn’t really lost the battle. He…
a hard heart
2 Timothy 2:1-5: Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others. Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of…
the moon You set in place
[caption id="attachment_8474" align="aligncenter" width="547" caption="—submitted by Victor Kuah, Australia"]
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"When I look at the night sky and see the work of Your fingers—the moon and the stars You set in place—what are mere mortals that You should think about them, human beings that You should care for them? Yet You made them only a little lower than God and crowned…
taking God for granted
I’m not going to join the track team again! I said that to myself countless times during my years in school. But every track season, there I was, back on the team.
Why did I have a love/hate relationship with track? The training! During practice, we pushed our perceived physical limits and strove for perfection. And all that training led…
my Shepherd
David declares in Psalm 23 that the Lord is his Shepherd and he shall have no lack. Those of us who receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior can claim the same things with boldness:
V1. The Lord is "MY SHEPHERD," Jehovah Rohi, I shall not want. As I have a personal relationship with my Lord, Psalm 84:11 tells…
August 15, 2011
How have the effects of the troubled economy affected your faith?
staying close
Over the past few months my wife and I have been the Master and Mistress of Ceremonies for three weddings. Not only are we considering doing this fulltime (just kidding!), we truly enjoyed helping the couples design marriage ceremonies and receptions that reflect who they are.
God designed marriage in a way that reflects who He is. He said, “It…
clear conscience
The previous owner of our house purchased an invisible fence to keep their dog from running into the street. The “fence” is comprised of a wire buried just beneath the surface of the ground, extending around the perimeter of the yard. When the dog approached the wire, the special collar he wore would start beeping, warning him that the end…
