stressed
More than “another day, another dollar,” work for the believer is an opportunity to live out our God-given talents. At the same time, our jobs can be a significant source of stress. As we’re responding to different personalities or economic challenges in the workplace, our responsibility as believers is the same regardless of location or job description: Love and reflect Jesus well.
leading integrity
In 2012, a think-tank held a search for 1,000 people of integrity in their country. From that group they identified 20 who they felt could become key governmental leaders. This was in reaction to the widespread dismay over the fact that one-third of the country’s regents and mayors were under investigation for graft. In a country of hundreds of millions, there was no shortage of leader applicants, but the think-tank believed it was imperative that they help elect leaders who possessed integrity.
privilege of love
Three nights ago, my husband and I closed a chapter in our life. Youth ministry has been my niche for as long as we’ve been married (nearly 18 years) and even longer for my husband. As we prepare to lead a church plant, this fall has been a long series of goodbyes—our last youth retreat, Christmas banquet, youth service. This past Monday evening was our final, and most difficult, goodbye.
rescue required
What do you get when you cross a Frisbee with a life preserver? The answer is an invention called a ResQDisc. When a rescuer throws it to a drowning person, the light, durable cord inside uncoils, allowing the person to be pulled to safety. The device allows a rescuer to aid someone without jumping into the water himself.
cover-up
Historians weren’t sure if Reformer Huldrych Zwingli had been sexually promiscuous with the daughter of a prominent citizen. Misbehaving priests weren’t uncommon in the 16th century, yet such gossip seemed like something his Roman Catholic enemies might spread to discredit Zwingli.
isolation
In a state of exhaustion and despair, at the 5-year anniversary mark of serving in Uganda, I sent an email to friends and ministry partners pleading for prayer. In response to learning of my struggles, a small army of brothers and sisters in Christ lifted me up in prayer and helped me walk through a difficult time.
friends in the fray
Tim Kreider wrote about modern-day busyness in a New York Times opinion column. His piece titled “The ‘Busy’ Trap” included a personal experience in which he contacted a friend about getting together. The friend replied that he was busy but might be persuaded to “ditch work for a few hours” if “something was going on.” Kreider didn’t press for a rendezvous. He described his friend’s busyness as “some vast, churning noise through which he was shouting.”
a private problem
Pastor. Husband. Father. Sex addict.
experiencing community
Respondents to a recent Barna Group survey listed the following as key elements of their church life: connecting with God, experiencing transformation, gaining new insights, and feeling cared for. All of those things happen as individual believers come together and use their gifts to bless and edify one another.
February 11, 2013
What have you found worked well to help a friend break free of an addiction?
my word is my promise
As an author, I’ve signed a few contracts. I’ve asked others to sign them too. What I dislike most about contracts is their endless clauses, spelled out in detailed legal jargon. It’s a litigious age. We’ve all heard of opportunistic folks, with well-paid lawyers, who find legal loopholes in such documents and cash in. So our contracts get longer and longer.
the harvest
As I reflect on the horrid event that occurred at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut (US), I am truly saddened that there apparently was no one in this young man’s life that recognized and acted on the level of turmoil he was enduring. It also occurs to me that this level of despair is potentially present in our own…
ghost car
In 1939, General Motors created a “ghost car”—a transparent vehicle with a body made of Plexiglas. The see-through outer shell of the Pontiac Deluxe Six revealed a custom chrome-plated dashboard, a spare tire lodged in the trunk, and even the door-locking mechanisms. The “ghost car” debuted at the New York World’s Fair and then traveled to various dealerships before finding a semi-permanent parking spot inside the Smithsonian Institute. In 2011, it sold at an auction for $308,000.
threethrowing
If you don’t know how to “threethrow,” don’t worry—it’s easy. You hold up your hand and pin down your pinky finger with your thumb. The three remaining fingers represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You can use this gesture to connect with other Christians “when verbal fellowship can’t occur,” says Mark Mitchum, who originated threethrowing. He hopes that this hand signal will “connect [Christians] for a few seconds and allow fellowship and encouragement [to occur].”
