a baby’s cry
Recently, one state in the US instituted a law requiring each pregnant woman considering an abortion to watch a sonogram of her unborn child, receive medically accurate explanations of what she views, and listen to her baby’s heartbeat. Following the law’s passage, a blogger who supports abortion raised money and bought iPods for abortion clinics. Her purpose? To provide each patient with a way to drown out the sound of her baby’s heartbeat. By cranking up the volume, she can stifle the sounds of life within her.
we are family
We often say in the church that we’re a family, and we address each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. But what does that really mean? What implications does the word family hold?
relative peace
A 60-year-old man, atop a John Deere tractor, charged at his 69-year-old brother-in-law who was harvesting hay astride his own tractor. The collision resulted in a damaged tire and the tractor-crasher’s arrest. One law enforcement official commented, “We’ve responded on prior occasions to calls because of differences between the families.” While it’s a bit unclear what the man hoped to accomplish by confronting and crunching his brother-in-law, the story shows that family feuds can escalate to ridiculous levels if they’re not resolved.
mothers matter
In whatever we ponder,
of the past, present or future,
let us always remember
all mothers for their good nature.
No matter what people may choose to think,
or of our mums, influence others to think;
all mothers are much more they seem
whenever they whisper, talk or scream.
Mothers may not think as we think,
but they can still wink as we wink;
nevertheless, to…
May 6, 2013
How have you reached out to a prodigal whom you love? What has helped you point them back to Jesus?
November 26, 2012
What’s a good way to encourage a friend who’s feeling down due to the loss of a family member or friend?
you choose Q: how do i get a close family member to forgive me?
Q: I am baffled by a close family member who is unwilling to forgive me for past hurts. How can I work through this with him? —Carol
A: Carol, I can see why you would be baffled as to what is going on. My guess is that the role you played in negative experiences in the past seems to have triggered…
elusive and illusive
Solomon laid out the yardsticks of success in ancient Jewish society: wealth, honor, possessions, a very large family, and a very long life (Ecclesiastes 6:2-3). Today, a large family and long life would be deemed by some as more of a burden and trouble than success. But wealth, possessions, and honor are definitely contemporary yardsticks of success.
Even as you…
earthly loss, heavenly gain
What is the most valuable thing in your life? Some would say family—a spouse, children or parent. Others would list career, education or material possessions. Those struggling with sickness would likely say that health tops the list. Jesus illustrated this same question with two tiny parables (Matthew 13:44-46).
He told of two people who stumbled upon treasures. In both tales…
no other god
In his fascinating book, Modes of Faith, Theodore Ziolkowski reviews the lives of 19th-century European writers who had lost faith in God. What Ziolkowski finds is this: While these authors had dismissed the God of the Bible, another ‘god’ had soon taken His place.
Ziolkowski found five “gods” to be most attractive to these men and their readers. Art was raised…
our homes . . .
It matters not whether we live in ramshackle huts,
or in luxurious bungalows,
as long as God’s love freely springs from within our hearts,
and we grow wherever it flows.
It matters not whether we live in the hills or mountains,
or along the coasts or river banks,
as long as we live in righteousness until Christ returns,
and always give God glory…
leading them spiritually
This week I have been talking to women who deeply desire their husbands to step into the role of Spiritual leader in their home. Even though they are Christian men, they don't seem ready or comfortable to be this leader.
So what can we do?
How can we lead our children?
Maybe you are a father and are not sure…
brothers and sisters
Julian and Adrian Riester were born in Buffalo, New York, in 1919. The identical twins lived their lives in sync—attending the same schools (where they enjoyed switching identities and fooling teachers) and taking many trips together over their 92 years on earth. Eventually, they both became Franciscan friars and spent most of their time at New York’s St. Bonaventure University,…
a house divided
Janice is an attractive woman in her mid-30s. She has looks, friends and a successful career. A few years ago she also became a Christian—to the horror of her atheist father. Since then her visits home have become more and more difficult. Each week her father pummels her with reasons why she should abandon her ‘fairy tale’ faith.
This relentless…
river in the sand
With our swimsuits on and the sand between our toes, my family and I decided to try a beach experiment. We picked a spot about 20 feet from the shoreline and set to work digging with plastic spades. Our goal was to hollow out a mini riverbed that would extend all the way back down to the sea. After some…
