Itching Ears
An excerpt attributed to a renowned Christian apologist and author appeared in one of my social media feeds. Because I respect the person who shared the content and because the language reflected the author’s voice, I momentarily believed the quote was authentic.
Trolling the Masters
Today, with a single click, you can freely access and rate some of the best music ever written. So how do the masters fare?
Testing for Truth
We’ve had some uninvited houseguests for years. I’m talking about ants. Although we’ve tried to make it clear that they’re unwelcome, they keep coming over unannounced. We’ve found only one thing that prevents them from stopping by every day—a mixture of poison and sugar sprinkled around the perimeter of our home. Combining the two ingredients means that the ants gobble up the toxin along with the sweet stuff, and experience the lethal results.
Another Option
The film Bridge of Spies tells the true story of a lawyer who was selected by his government to defend an arrested foreign spy. As the lawyer strived for a fair trial, he found himself caught in a moral quandary. With both countries standing on the brink of nuclear war, his government wasn’t interested in a rigorous defense. They simply wanted the spy convicted and sent to the electric chair.
Wexting?
A pedestrian is startled as a car screeches to an abrupt halt—just inches from his body. He lifts his head and thumbs from his glowing smartphone screen, scowls at the driver, and keeps walking. This scene plays out every day somewhere in the world. Texting walkers are the latest concern—doing something called wexting.
wounded
My daughter consistently teaches me that perspective is everything when it comes to relationships. Watching her navigate the ins and outs of adolescence, I see a mirror for my own misunderstandings —what I hear is not always what was intended. She finds it easy to understand the heart behind the words coming from friends she trusts. Even the most benign of statements from someone who has wounded her, however, can often become an arrow to her heart.
careful consideration
Have you ever been having a heated conversation with someone and impulsively said something mean? As soon as the words left your mouth, you knew the kind of negative impact they would have on the person. You then realized you had thrust a ‘sword’ that could never be retracted. Or have you ever done something (not necessarily a sin), only…
betrayed by a friend
One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the movie Braveheart occurs when William Wallace realizes his countryman, Robert the Bruce, has betrayed him by secretly aligning with the English at the Battle of Falkirk. Wallace, who has expended great effort fighting for Scotland’s freedom, is so overcome by grief that he physically collapses on the battlefield—even with English soldiers bearing down…
moral compass
If you’re a hiker who depends on a trusted compass to find your way through the wilderness, it might be time to invest in a GPS device. Why? The earth’s magnetic field is changing. According to scientists, the magnetic poles are “sliding towards Siberia at 34 miles per year at a speed that has accelerated 36 percent over the past…
pity, entitlement, and grace
Genesis 3:11-12: “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?” The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
If you ask the Lord to reveal more to you about His nature and power,…
beyond my reach
My husband and I are cautious when it comes to our kids. We diligently try to find the balance between having appropriate boundaries without being outright control freaks. Friends, media, and social events have become powerful means of helping our kids learn discernment and character. I noted, however, that my prayers for our 6th grader increased when she went away…
amplified
Despite the recent economic meltdown, most people would agree that free markets have improved the lives of billions of people. Many people today are living longer and wealthier than anyone ever has, in large part because free markets incentivize us to create products that other people want to buy. Entrepreneurs who knew that they would profit from their efforts invented…
random strangers
I recently read an article about a site where Web chatters are exposed to random strangers from around the world. As the article states, “One minute you’re chatting via Webcam with a mom of two [in the US] and the next you’re staring at a stark-naked man in Bangkok.” One psychiatrist calls the site “a predator’s paradise.” Definitely not a…
discerning attacks
"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and…
